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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28752699">From One Juncture to Another</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/T_Tornado/pseuds/T_Tornado'>T_Tornado</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Cyberpunk 2077 (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Behavior, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Canon Fix-It, Post-Endgame, The Sun Ending (Cyberpunk 2077)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 04:00:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>115,372</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28752699</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/T_Tornado/pseuds/T_Tornado</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <strong>Continuation of 'The Sun'/Crystal Palace cliffhanger</strong>
</p>
<p>Judy always separated her life into phases. She thought she'd turned a corner once she met V. </p>
<p>But V left to rob The Crystal Palace. </p>
<p>Why did V break her heart and leave?<br/>What happened at the Crystal Palace?<br/>How is Judy faring in her new life in Oregon?<br/>Will Judy and V ever be reunited?</p>
<p>If so, at what cost?</p>
<p>(Slow-burn Judy PoV for the first three chapters. Things get progressively crazier after that)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Judy Alvarez/Female V</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>297</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>420</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Lizzie's Bar</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Memories</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi all. Like many of you I was left with a Judy-sized hole in my heart after finishing the game, so I've turned to fanfic to try and fill it back up. My goal is to provide you with an alternative 'happy ending' besides "The Star" aka the Aldecaldos ending. I've been following the rumours and speculation concerning the Crystal Palace and how it might feature in the game's next story expansion. In the meantime, I’ve decided to try and fill in the gaps.</p>
<p>This is my first time doing any sort of creative writing, let alone fanfic. I'm writing this mainly for myself, but am happy to share it with you all. Please, let me know your thoughts. Even if you are a guest, you can still comment!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A cool morning breeze blew across the hilly coastline.</p><p>A young woman in a wetsuit eagerly paddled towards the boundless ocean in a small rigid inflatable boat, known as a RIB among enthusiasts. The small watercraft was well-worn, displaying a patchwork of DIY repairs painstakingly done by what was, without a doubt, a very caring owner. The teal colour of the top half was faded; what was once a bottom black half, corroded below the waterline, became a dull grey that exposed the synthetic rubber material underneath. Enjoying the great outdoors was a hazardous endeavour in her day and age.</p><p>Compared to the way things were a century before, extreme UV ray exposure and severe ocean acidification from decades of pollution often resulted in injury or death for those who were ill-equipped or ill-prepared. Such was the nature of a world ravaged by corporate greed. And yet, the harsh conditions did not stop the young woman from enjoying her favourite pastime – underwater diving.</p><p>The sea was calm that morning. The waves gingerly lapped against the hull.</p><p>Judy Alvarez took in the warm, amber glow of daybreak as she paddled along. She briefly stopped to tuck the fringe of her sidecut green-pink hair behind her ear whilst the morn breeze picked up ever so slightly. She noticed the paddling was more strenuous for her. Thinking on this, she recalled it had been a while since she’d gone diving, and longer still since she’d used a rowboat to dive further away from shore.</p><p>The local she'd spoken to suggested rowing at least a mile away to avoid most of the wreckage at the bottom of the shallow seabed. The Collapse hit Oregon’s fishing industry particularly hard, he explained. Many fishermen abandoned their dinghies and trawlers in their desperate haste to rush back to their communities, and protect their families and homes from all the rioting and upheaval of that time. Many of the boats that were beached were stripped and picked clean for scrap decades ago, of course. Yet hundreds of the erstwhile lucrative vessels lay at the bottom of the coastal seafloor, forgotten with the passing of time.</p><p>Judy looked down. Squinting her eyes, she tried looking for signs of the wrecks through the turbid water. She was determined to swim freely and explore, not bob and weave between rusty old vessels. She quickly gave up as she could not see a thing.</p><p>She turned to look back towards the shore in an attempt to gauge the distance. She marvelled at coast, now basked in the gleaming aura of the rising sun; it was a sight to behold. Judy was scrolling the outing with her braindance recording implant for posterity. She didn’t know when she’d get the chance to come out there again given her busy schedule back at her grandparents’.</p><p>She noted that the discoloured, rickety old wind turbines took away from the picturesque landscape. They were all rotating at different speeds. Some of them were missing a few blades, some were collapsed; others didn’t work at all. Still, the view was way prettier than the smog-filled, megabuilding-laden skyline of Night City that she was familiar with. She couldn’t help but feel sad though, observing the landscape in front of her. It would have been even more lush in the past with all of the plants and trees still there, like in the vintage postcards she started collecting since leaving the big city.</p><p>Judy loved staring at the beaches - those of Lone Ranch Beach, Cape Sebastian; sights that were further north like Arcadia and Cannon Beach. Those places are all gone now, of course; the rise in sea levels saw to that.</p><p>Oregon’s landscapes were somewhat preserved, thanks to the tough immigration laws the state enacted half a century ago. The Oregon Environmental Patrol judiciously guarded its state parks, though its mandate was increasingly undermined throughout the decades as it was slowly defunded. Unfortunately, many of the forests were logged for the corpos who craved antique-like wooden furniture to decorate their homes.</p><p>Judy pondered her newfound appreciation of nature. Back in Night City, she felt like a caged bird. Now, she was happy she finally escaped and spread her wings out in the wilds. Whenever she could, that is.</p><p><em>"From one juncture to another</em>.<em>"</em> She recalled mentioning these words as she parted with someone who became very dear to her. Someone who, upon reflection, she knew briefly in the grand scheme of things; yet someone who she felt she’d known a lifetime.</p><p>She realised she couldn’t really tell whether she was a mile away from the coast or not. Deciding to play it safe, she rowed further out for a few minutes more. Coming to a stop, she put the paddle aside next to her and checked her immediate surroundings. She picked up her wetsuit’s diving helmet. Looking at the glass face, she gave it a quick wipe to remove all the dust that had built up during its time in storage.</p><p>For a brief moment, she thought she saw that same person’s face in her likeness, staring back right at her. Memories of that special day – their day - at Laguna Bend started vividly replaying in her mind. How Judy helped put the helmet on her, the mutual teasing of how they both looked in their wetsuits. That stupid song Judy liked to hum, stuck in her head after she'd met her. Her mind wandered.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck... ‘s it gonna be like this from now on? </em>
</p><p>The pain was still there. The wound had not healed yet; she wasn't sure it ever fully could.</p><p>Judy heard about the explosion at the Crystal Palace luxury orbital station on the radio. How one of Arasaka’s casinos was targeted. How the life support systems in the ring the casino was in catastrophically failed, killing thousands. She hated when innocent people died - even corpos and bourgie scumbags. Judy was robbed of many different things throughout her life, especially in Night City. But the one thing she never let go of was her empathy and concern for others, despite being criticised for that by some close to her.</p><p><em>"Take care of yourself, V. An’ come back in one piece." </em>Those were her last words to V, the small-time merc-turned-Queen-of-the-Afterlife. The one who, for better or worse, pieced Judy back together in her darkest hour, only to shatter her back into a thousand pieces in her pursuit of fortune and glory 'till the bitter end. When the news broke out, hundreds of unanswered messages, holocalls, and voicemails confirmed her worst fears.</p><p>V wasn’t the same after her assault on Arasaka's HQ in Night City. She also never clued Judy in on the detes of what happened that night. V didn’t even tell Judy was still dying, that her plan had failed. V skyrocketed in fame after she came back from Mikoshi. The young techie felt sidelined by all the glitz and glamour; the fake socialites orbiting V; and all the Afterlife biz following her takeover from her deceased predecessor. Judy felt alone then more than ever before.</p><p>Naturally, V tried reassuring her that things were fine. Judy believed her at first. But piecing things together after all the blood-spattering coughs and dark mood, she realised V was still dying - seemingly intent on going out with a bang. Judy couldn’t bear to witness that.</p><p>She realised she'd been staring at her reflection on the helmet’s visor for a while. She hated it when she’d get lost in thought.</p><p>A lifetime speckled with happy moments few and far between does that to a person, though. The young techie often retreated inward, internalizing, over-analysing everything. Circumstances also forced her to be brave sometimes. After meeting V - the courageous and, perhaps, foolhardy mercenary, she found it easy to borrow a bit of that courage for herself.</p><p>She took a deep breath and exhaled. After wiping the tears that welled in her eyes, she lifted the helmet and deftly lowered it onto her head. The visor’s heads-up display slowly booted up. Checking the Nitrox level in her tank, she dipped her head underwater while remaining on the rowboat, both to test the seal and to scan the depths. As expected, the water was murky, but she was pleased to see it was free of wreckages or other manmade mementos of a bygone age. Content, she lifted her head out of the water.</p><p>Next to her lay an EBM <em>Gravichor</em>™, which Judy picked up. She inspected the item, having never used one before. She'd acquired it from a specialist hobby store some time before leaving NC. It was a piece of miracle-tech, something straight out of a science-fiction novel, like teleportation technology. Filled with some sort of kinetic gravel, it was an anchor that looked like a ballast bag - such as those found on one of them ancient hot air balloons. Above water, it was light as a feather; underwater, it was as heavy as… well, an anchor. The corp never explained how it managed to alter the mass of an object in Earth’s gravity between two different mediums.</p><p>All corporations guarded their patents closely, that was a given. But that didn’t stop them from trying to learn each other’s secrets. Corporate espionage, sabotage, and infiltration – that was the name of the game in those echelons of society. Judy thought about the implications of EBM’s technology, how they could weaponize something like that. The world was full of fucked-up tech. Rogue AIs scared her, especially - both the ones prowling about in cyberspace, beyond the Blackwall; and in realspace, like that Arasaka minelayer that went rogue during the Fourth Corporate War, eliminating sea travel permanently for all vessels worldwide. As if the world needed more reasons to suck.</p><p>She hooked the other end of the anchor’s rope to a ring on the side of her RIB and tossed the anchor into the water. The synthrope was speckled with red and white flashing LEDs, handy for when she needed to find her way back.</p><p>She glanced over some of her other things in the rowboat: her rucksack, emergency survival kit, her gun. The reliable Kang Tao A-22B Chao smart pistol never left her side, though she seldomly wielded it. She recalled how she used it when, together with V, they rescued Evelyn from the scavenger XBD lair at the Old Electric Corp power plant in Charter Hill. She didn’t fully trust V back then, deciding in a fit of pique that she wouldn’t sit in her van outside the plant while a stranger went after her best friend on her behalf.</p><p>Judy tried suppressing that dark day, thinking instead about how, sometime after the wayward merc and her grew closer, V used to tease her for relying on a smart weapon. But nobody taught her how to traditionally aim and fire a gun, not even the Moxes - they saw no need as she wasn’t prone to get into firefights. Still, she picked up a few things from her BD-format Bushidō collection. V jokingly promised she’d teach her how to shoot a <em>real </em>weapon after she got rid of the chip in her head.</p><p>The anchor reached the bottom, which caused the boat to bob slightly. It startled the young techie as her train of thought was broken.</p><p>She grabbed her diving fins and put them on her feet. Checking her suit one final time, she lifted her legs over the portside of the boat and lowered them knee-deep below the water. A person would normally dive by rolling backwards from the side of a boat, but given the small size of her RIB, and with all the weight concentrated on one side, it would topple over if she tried.</p><p>Leaning back with her arms behind her, palms on the floor acting as buttresses, she felt the cool water splashing against her feet. In a smooth motion befitting a diving veteran of her calibre, she pushed herself forwards and pivoted her whole body to spin herself around to stabilise the boat as she hopped in the water. It took her a moment to get past the thermal shock, but thankfully the wetsuit dampened most of the cold.</p><p>Checking one final time that her boat was stable, she turned around and exhaled to empty her lungs. Her buoyancy control device (or BCD, as divers called it) was linked to her cyberdeck implant. If she wanted to descend, she merely had to think it, and the nylon bladder on her BCD would automatically deflate to allow her to sink. As she descended, she noted that visibility was still quite poor even with the headlamps on her helmet. She found it hard to believe that these murky, green waters were once a sapphire blue.</p><p>Judy didn’t use to mind the muck as much, back in NC. Diving was a form of escapism for her – not to search for treasure, but to be alone with her thoughts, away from her daily struggles in the huge, yet paradoxically claustrophobic megalopolis. Diving in close proximity to Night City meant finding all sorts of things, ranging from the banal, to the disturbing, to the downright morbid. The coffins were the worst.</p><p>Dumping caskets into the ocean was technically illegal in Night City; most people had to be cremated once they died. The ultra-rich bourgies tended to be buried in artificial soil in the various vertical cemeteries. With the right amount of eddies, those who weren’t wealthy enough to afford a “traditional” burial, but who didn’t want to end up in the incinerators, could bribe the coastguard authorities to look the other way and have a funeral out at sea. After a while, Judy became numb to all the flotsam and detritus she found underwater, focusing instead on the tranquillity and peacefulness – her respite from all the hubbub she was accustomed to.</p><p>As Judy reached the seabed, the BCD inflated back up and stabilised her. She saw her HUD display a depth of 115 feet. A bit on the shallow side, she reckoned, but it wasn’t too bad given that she’d paddled out; she’d have to find a small motor for her RIB if she wanted to go deeper and further away from the coast.</p><p>She scanned her rocky surroundings, taking everything in.</p><p>
  <em>Least it’s not covered in ten feet of crap.</em>
</p><p>Smiling, she picked up some of the gritty sand from the seafloor and gently rubbed it between her fingers, letting it run down her palm to then float away.</p><p>Looking around and deciding on a direction to swim towards, she wondered if she’d find any seashells - like on that of her tattoo on her left shoulder. A couple of weeks back she'd visited the same beach solely for the purpose of looking for seashells; she wanted to find a real one, not a kitschy plastic one. But after traversing up and down the coastline, she wasn’t able to spot any. Maybe some were hidden down these roily waters.</p><p>She decided she’d go westwards as the compass on her HUD indicated. She turned around to have one final look at the red-and-white flashing synthrope before levelling herself horizontally and setting off. She was surprised at how quickly the muscle memory in her legs “kicked in.” Judy made a mental note of the pun and chuckled.</p><p>
  <em>Such a gonk.</em>
</p><p>There were various ways of finning – underwater movement techniques for divers. Judy preferred the tried-and-tested flutter kicks, although she tended to switch it up whenever the situation called for it, like to the frog kick for when she swam really close to the seabed. She pressed onwards, having rapidly reacquainted herself with the motions</p><p>She slowly made her way across the ocean bank, taking in all the sights as the rocky reef stretched ever onwards.</p><p>She recalled the old datashards she'd read once, produced ages ago by fringe environmental activist groups. They detailed how underwater ecosystems were hit just as hard, if not worse, by the ancient fuel corps that extracted oil from the oceans and spilled a lot of it in the process. This was before the biofuel CHOOH<sub>2 </sub>became ubiquitous. Judy learned of sponges, corals and gorgonians; kelp forests and seagrass meadows; the tens of thousands of species of fish, crustaceans and molluscs. No doubt there were countless other things she hadn’t read about - finding those old snippets on the Net wasn’t easy.</p><p>But most of those words were meaningless to her; she didn't know what many of those things looked like. She knew of some fish, seahorses, sharks, dolphins, and octopi. She preserved their memory, in her own way, by painting some of them on the walls of her old apartment back in Night City, in addition to having some of them inked on her body.</p><p>Bred by the corporations, many wild terrestrial and aquatic animals still survived exclusively in captivity. But the vast majority of species could not be saved, of course. Decades ago, market research had been conducted to determine which animals were “popular” enough to preserve; to monetise them, and invite people to gawk at them in their miserable states. Those old shards she read described a world rich in biodiversity. Judy couldn’t fathom it – they may as well have been describing an alien planet.</p><p>Her journey was calm - serene even, with the silence occasionally broken by the automatic injection and venting of gas from her BCD to maintain neutral buoyancy.</p><p>As she swam, she was ever on the lookout for seashells. She mentally mapped her route through various little landmarks – a funny-shaped rock here, a particularly large outcrop there. Eventually, she reached a small, narrow canyon in the reef. Briefly stopping to admire it for her recording, she finned on towards it.</p><p>Judy touched the canyon’s walls as she made her way through it. They were pitted, sharp, and jagged, owing to aeons of erosion and other natural processes she did not know the names of. But the feeling on her fingertips was pleasant; it was different. It wasn’t perfect, artificially hewn like a sheet of metal or a slab of concrete. It was rough, imperfect – it was <em>natural</em>, and it was beautiful, in a strange, mundane way.</p><p>The canyon opened up to a sandy shelf, unremarkable at first glance. As Judy pressed on, her mind started to wander, as it was wont to do - to the chores she’d have to take care of once she got back, to the postcards she collected, to the smattering of recent ideas she’d had for a preem BD… to V, and how she…</p><p>Interrupting her train of thought, Judy thought she saw something move out of the corner of her eye. She could just about spot a dark silhouette in the distance. Intrigued, she cautiously swam towards it. She wondered whether it was it another person, regretting her cheap choice of firearm that she couldn’t bring; the little Chao had no underwater firing capability.</p><p>As she drew closer, she could definitely tell it was moving, albeit slowly. It wasn’t another human. It had a vivid colour to it, golden-brown, translucent, with reddish highlights. Its movement was perplexing. Judy stopped a few feet away from it, circling around to get a better look.</p><p>She beamed with pleasure at the familiar sight.</p><p>Although this creature was different, she saw similar-looking ones in an old nature documentary. She never discovered the name of that species, yet she still painted them on one of the walls in her old apartment's living room. She couldn’t stifle a burst of laughter at the creature’s expense, owing to its phallic-shaped top bit; it was slightly different to the umbrella-shaped ones she’d seen in the vid. Being exposed to a hypersexualised society from a very young age, one couldn’t help that their mind was accustomed to certain erotic figures and shapes.</p><p>She stared at the cousin of the sea-things she'd painted. Just like the others, it also looked outlandish, impossible. How the creature’s biology permitted it to be a living being was inconceivable to her. Only the richest of the rich got a proper education. In between the tumultuous phases of her life, she was never afforded the opportunity – she had only her street smarts and techie knowledge from her grandfather to work with. Unfortunately, they were useless in identifying long-lost or extinct marine life.</p><p>From the bell-shaped translucent bit at the top sprouted noodle-like tendrils at the bottom. The middle ones were thicker and longer, covered in what looked like some sort of white foam, or tiny loofahs. The outer tendrils jutted out from the edges of the “bell;” they were shorter, thinner, but more numerous. It moved by “propelling” itself through the flappy lower edges of the “bell.” She estimated it was about a foot in diameter, by maybe two to three feet long.</p><p>Questions were racing through her head: why didn’t it mind her presence? What could it have possibly survived on out here? Were there more of them? <em>What was it even called?</em></p><p>For what must have felt like ages, Judy was happy to follow the creature as it milled about, paying her no mind. The fact that she experienced this was a treat in and of itself, but capturing the moment through her BD implant brought her tremendous joy.</p><p>Until she decided to be a gonk, and touch the creature’s appendages. The creature did not react at all; Judy, on the other hand, felt a piercing sting jolt throughout her arm, and a sharp, searing pain in her palm. Cursing, she tried rubbing her palms together to dull the sensation – only to discover some of the pain transferred to the other palm as well.</p><p>She cursed even more, and flailed her palms in a manic fashion in the futile hope the water would somehow cool them. She looked at the creature, expecting it to show some remorse. But it only carried about its biz, oblivious or indifferent to the pain it just wrought. Judy couldn’t help but smile: at her gonk move, at the thing’s nonchalance, <em>at her discovery </em>- and the prospect of coming back to find more living things.</p><p>An indicator suddenly flashed on the visor’s HUD. <em>Nitrox Low</em>, it said; she was running out of breathing gas. She took one last look at her prickly choom, who was widening the gap between them.</p><p>“See ya, ‘lil guy!” she called out.</p><p>She awaited a response, but eventually disappointedly turned around and departed as well. Once again on the lookout for her desired commodity, she traversed the shelf back through the jagged canyon. She could make out the faint flashing lights on the anchor’s synthrope in the distance. Once she'd returned to the starting point, she inflated her BCD to ascend back up to the boat. With one final glance around the seabed, she let out a sigh.</p><p>
  <em>No seashells. Must’ve all dissolved ages ago.</em>
</p><p>Once she was above water, Judy took off her diving helmet and tossed it in the boat, together with the BCD vest and gas tank. Moving swiftly so as to not capsize the little RIB, she grabbed hold of the edge with her arm and lifted a leg knee-first across the side. She then gently rolled herself back onto the boat, landing on her back.</p><p>Warmth caressed her face as the sun beat down on her. It looked like it was almost midday.</p><p>She took a couple of minutes to bask in the sun's radiant incandescence. She then grabbed the antacid cream from her rucksack and thoroughly coated her hands. The acid water could wreak havoc on bare skin; Judy consciously chose to always dive with her hands uncovered, refusing to deprive herself of the sense of touch. The cream helped with the stinging in her palms, too.</p><p>She sat up and straightened herself, checking her surroundings to make sure the boat hadn’t drifted anywhere. Which was illogical, as she had the anchor in place. It wouldn’t be easy lifting the thing back up while it was underwater. With a sigh, she geared herself up for the task. Yet pulling on the synthrope, she concluded it wasn’t as hard as she first feared; but it was still over a hundred feet of rope she’d have to pull up. Judy wasn’t particularly strong, being as lithe as she was.</p><p>She recalled that one time she jokingly texted V late at night to come over to her apartment to help her open a jar of kibble. The silly gonk came over, looking pretty bedraggled (straight after a gig apparently), and brought some fancy takeout food with her.</p><p>“Not about to let my girl eat some nasty kibble,” she said.</p><p>Judy smiled at the thought as she pulled the rope up. She liked being called “her girl.” Maiko, one of her ex-outputs, was never that affectionate with her. Sure, she called Judy nice things, and maybe there was some genuine emotion at first; but she sure felt discarded like a piece of meat in the end, with her former lover focused on her ambitions in the Tyger Claw gang.</p><p>She realised it wasn’t fair to cast aside those moments with V, the hot-headed merc with a heart of gold who came after. She registered just then, putting the memories of Maiko and V side-by-side, that her doomed merc still cared for her, in a way, after Mikoshi. Questions on why V tried her best to not show it still lingered in Judy’s mind. People come to terms with the finality of death in different ways. Judy couldn’t blame V too much for that.</p><p>Before getting a chance to further ruminate on things, Judy was taken aback by the weightlessness of the anchor as she finally pulled it above water.</p><p>Fumbling about in an attempt to catch it, she eventually grabbed it in her arms and set it aside, chuckling at her sudden clumsiness. Looking at her diver’s watch, the old-school watchface showed it was nearly eleven o’clock in the morning. Her stomach grumbled, unpleased that she'd skipped breakfast to get to the coast early.</p><p>She grabbed a Synthsnack pouch from her rucksack, the familiar pink and green All Foods branding greeting her. Opening it, she began gulping down the gummy liquid, taking in the familiar sights as the little boat was bobbing up and down the waves. After washing it down with a NiCola, she picked up the paddle, and started rowing towards the shore. She reckoned it would be about half an hour to get back.</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The little RIB beached to shore as Judy disembarked.</p><p>She spotted her van in the distance. It was parked on a rocky landing further from the beach proper where she'd previously left it. Perched up on one of the cliffs, the wind turbines from before now towered above her.</p><p>She looked back out to sea where she'd encountered the little alienlike lifeform. She realised she still hadn’t thought of a name for it, or its cousins back at her old apartment for that matter. She paced about, spending a good few minutes to consider various options. Her mind finally conjured up what she thought was a highly appropriate term, drawn from both the creature’s appearance and the audacity with which it gave Judy its parting gift.</p><p><em>Dicknoodles</em>.</p><p>Judy chortled at that. But she was proud of her little discovery. Hardly a term worthy of taxonomy, that much was true; it was apt nonetheless.</p><p>The young techie stopped the braindance scrolling, removing the datashard with the footage she’d just recorded from her skull. She took a satisfied look at it, then leaned over towards the boat and put it inside her rucksack.</p><p>
  <em>Time to head home.</em>
</p><p><em>Home</em>. For her, that was a strange concept. Did she really ever have one? The question frequently turned over in her mind.</p><p>Was home the megabuilding hole-in-the-wall which she stayed in until her mother passed away when she was very young? Was it her grandparents’ house in Laguna Bend? Was it the group home she was forcibly moved into after she was framed for stealing that fire truck she actually fixed by herself? Was it her grandparents’ apartment in Night City that she rented after she got out and joined the Moxes; the one that frequently got wrecked in her quarrels with Maiko?</p><p>Some of her fondest memories were from Laguna Bend, but it wasn’t perfect.</p><p>
  <em>Judy, Judy, watch out for her cooties! Alvarez is so poor, she can’t even afford to have parents! Hahaha! </em>
</p><p>Being a kid from the poorest of poor households could be brutal. Sharing those memories with V the day they dived together was cathartic. As they were neurally linked together, she could feel V wince at Judy’s pain as those childhood moments resurfaced. But V was supportive nonetheless.</p><p>Judy concluded that she was somewhat happy, as of late - despite her busy schedule. How long would it be until something else would inevitably go wrong and upturn her life yet again.</p><p>How long would it be until the next juncture?</p><p>Pulling on a strap attached to the front of the RIB, she began dragging the little boat towards the van.</p><p>Judy had bought the Villefort Columbus V340-F Freight Model a little while after joining up with the Moxes. At the time, she decided that the drab, brown colour just wouldn’t do. She spared no expense and powder coated the entire van in ocean blue, for her obvious fondness of the seas. With black highlights at the top of the sides and on the roof, she also coated the wheel discs pink - because... why not? Finally, she added some vinyl stickers and labels around the sides and back, and had some of her friends trace some graffiti for fun. Only then was she satisfied with the mods, concluding the van had enough moxie as befitted her - she was part of the Moxes, after all. Rita Wheeler, the spirited Mox bouncer from Lizzie’s Bar, lent her the funds to cover the alterations. Judy had to pay Rita back for months - but she didn’t regret it one bit.</p><p>Lovingly dubbed the <em>Sea Dragon</em>, the van had seen better days. The rust plaguing the underside had slowly crept upwards throughout the years, coating the wheel arches in their entirety and worming its way up to the bottom of the main body panels. All the dust, chips and scratches from the off-roading she had been doing in those destitute parts of south Oregon also didn’t do much for its appearance.</p><p>Judy retrieved the key fob from her rucksack, unlocking the van and opening the back doors. She dragged the boat further towards the Sea Dragon. Stepping inside the van to grab an autopump, she inserted into the RIB’s blowhole. She pressed the <em>Pull</em> button; with a loud hum, the pump began extracting the air out of the RIB to gradually deflate it.</p><p>She undid the zipper on the back of her wetsuit, taking it off and exposing her balconette bra, short-shorts, and a hodgepodge of tattoos of different sizes and art styles.</p><p>Spread across her arms, neck, chest, lower back, thighs, hips and legs were veritable works of art from roses, to spider webs, to various Mox branding, to that old fire truck that got her into so much trouble, to lyrics of some of her favourite songs. But the ink closest to her heart had to be the happy little ghost on her left shoulder, coming out of a seashell like a djinn from one of those old European monster hunting tale shards.</p><p>Judy thought the little ghost represented her quite well. She often felt invisible, being alone most of her life, lacking in meaningful connections. Yet she always did her best to put on a brave face, a smile, ever struggling to find a sense of belonging; to discover who she really was – to come out of her shell.</p><p>She put on the grey tank top that she'd left in the van and slipped into her favourite black synthleather punk overalls. She kept the left strap undone, a preference cultivated from a flaw in her first pair back when she was a teen. She found it more comfortable wearing it in that manner, and thought it added to her charm.</p><p>She recalled that didn’t stop V from finding a way to tease her about it. That one time back at Judy's apartment, she milled about the kitchen for some reason or another, wearing her larger, looser-fitting overalls. As she was preoccupied, V snuck in behind her, swiftly undoing the clasp of her overalls' right strap, causing the whole garment to drop to her ankles and exposing her rear. Shocked at her sudden immodesty, she turned around to find V, arms folded, with the biggest grin Judy’d ever seen on her.</p><p>“Preem. Sure that’ll come in handy, in future,” the merc quipped before promptly attempting to cover her partner back up.</p><p>Although flustered, Judy quickly grabbed V's arms to stop her. She then showed her a trick to quickly untie the knot on Judy's old white crop top, too. That was one of the better nights.</p><p> </p><p>The humming from the autopump ceased as the RIB was fully deflated.</p><p>Judy put on her socks and laceless sneaker boots. Un-frizzling her green-pink hair, she gently combed it with her hand, her fringe rebounding from behind her ear back in its usual place to her right.</p><p>She picked up all her gear and deposited it in the van. Heading back to the deflated RIB, she folded it up neatly, remembering the criss-cross pattern she’d always used. She placed the folded RIB in the back of the van before closing the double doors. She checked her watch again - just past one o’clock in the afternoon, it showed.</p><p>
  <em>Shit, gonna be late.</em>
</p><p>She gave her surroundings one final look before hopping in the driver’s seat. It took a few attempts to start the van up, with Judy losing her temper on the second or third try. With a frustrated slam on the steering wheel, the old workhorse belched to life. A large gust of black smoke violently escaped from the exhaust as the modestly-sized V6 engine wheezed like a tuberculosis patient. She’d been meaning to take a look under the hood, but hadn’t had the chance of late.</p><p>She put the van in gear and set off. It briefly fishtailed as it attempted to grip onto the rocky, pebbly surface of the coast before correcting its course. Judy groaned at its lack of an all-wheel drive.</p><p>She turned the van around, heading back the way she came up a scree slope traversing the low beachside cliff.</p><p>She would then make her way towards the old US Route 101, after which she’d cut south down along the coast before turning east. Driving inland along the hilly country road that ran parallel to the North Californian border, she would reach the small town of Bordervillage after about sixty miles or so, where she had to make a stop to grab a few things. From there she would head northwards, up the bedraggled US Route 199 for around another sixty miles, then further inland down the I-5, before finally reaching her destination.</p><p>All-in-all, it would be a few hours before Judy got back.</p><p>To pass the time, she would usually listen to her favourite elektropunk band, <em>Perilous Futur</em>, though she didn’t mind the occasional hardcore techno from the Maelstrom-affiliated <em>Tinnitus</em>, or the Japanese lazrpop from <em>Us Cracks</em>.</p><p>As the van lacked the more advanced features of a higher-specced trim, she took one of Perilous Futur’s albums in MiniVinyl format and slotted it into the oldschool-style player. She would’ve normally listened to Night FM back in the city to get her elektropunk fix, but there was no reception out there in the sticks.</p><p>With the album shuffled, she was greeted by the familiar song <em>Dirty Roses</em>. Her mind drifted away in thought once more: to seashells, and how she couldn’t find any yet again; to Dicknoodles, whom she was grateful for; to Bordervillage, and how she didn’t like the place.</p><p>As Judy drove on down the coast, the road noise was eventually drowned out by the song’s funky, syncopated rhythm, punchy bass, and oscillating wub-wubs.   </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>O</p><p> </p><p></p><div class="float-div">
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Can anyone guess what manner of strange creature that was?!</p><p>Stay tuned for (what will hopefully be) a more action-filled chapter!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Demons</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Judy faces the harsh reality of the world once again, as she is reacquainted with an old friend.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The landscape stretched to the horizon, barren and desolate.</p><p>Judy was making her way inland. The windows were rolled down, with the airstream providing some much-needed relief from the scorching heat. Elektropunk tunes blared from the speakers as the van travelled on something that vaguely resembled a road.</p><p>Entire swathes of tarmac were broken down into its constituent sand and gravel; the asphalt that remained was sun-bleached and cracked. The potholes, bespattered across the entire way, were more akin to craters than anything else - imprinted solely on the road as though someone used it for target practice for a battalion of howitzers, long ago.</p><p>Judy didn’t mind the rough ride; the swerving to avoid the potholes took away from the monotony of the long drive. She kept score of her successful veers. If the entire width of the road was covered such that careening out of the way was impossible, she would brace her bottom for the inevitable bump, marking the occasion with an <em>oof</em> or an <em>ouch</em>. She didn’t deduct points those times though - that would be unfair.</p><p>Although she was having fun in her own juvenile way, the Sea Dragon was getting increasingly temperamental. As Judy worked the paddle shifters on the steering wheel, each downshift and subsequent upshift in gear to navigate the treacherous road would be met with a chirr, rattle, or rat-tat from the engine, protesting the exertion it was subjected to.</p><p>“Hang in there, old girl,” she said, leaning forward to gently tap the dash.</p><p>Time was of the essence. She had an errand to run, and she couldn’t afford to go any slower.</p><p>With a sigh, Judy turned her head to look to her left. Atop miles of the reddish-yellow hills and hillocks of Oregon once sat a verdant forest of Douglas fir, one of the state’s past defining features and a source of pride for its (former) environmentalist idiosyncrasy.</p><p>Glancing to her right, about two hundred yards away lay what was known as the Kress Wall, named after a former president of the New United States of America. Although Oregon was autonomous, relations with the federal government warmed to the point the state considered rejoining NUSA. Built in 2066, the wall was Kress's guarantee of protection in case Northern California, a hostile Free State, decided to attack. Which it did, during the Unification War of 2069. NorCal’s Arasaka-sponsored panzers made short work of the wall in a few border skirmishes; it was never properly repaired after the conflict. Where twenty-feet-tall corrugated metal slabs once stood proudly, unbroken and uninterrupted, chain-link fences were cobbled together to patch the numerous breaches.</p><p>As Judy zigzagged along to reach her stop, she started jamming to <em>Makes Me Feel Better</em>, one of the biggest hits from Perilous Futur’s latest album.</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>If there was one thing she disliked about her new life, it was the biweekly trip to Bordervillage for supply-running.</p><p>The term “Bordervillage” was a misnomer. First off, it wasn’t exactly next to the border, but around six miles north of it. Second, it was originally founded as a camp by the state to corral all the refugees pouring in from NorCal in the aftermath of the Unification War. It had since expanded to be closer to a town-sized community rather than a village. Perched atop a small network of creeks tributary to the nearly-desiccated Illinois River, the town was bisected by the old US Route 199. It became an important stop in the North-South route between NorCal’s affluent port of Crescent City, and the Portland-Salem metroplex in Oregon.</p><p>Judy thought the town reminded her too much of Night City, or what what was perhaps a proto-NC like back in the days of its founder, Richard Night. The familiar stench from the pollution, the din, the agglomeration, the neon signage, all the sex-laden advertisements such as those of <em>Watson Whore</em>,<em> Milfguard</em>, and<em> Mr. Studd</em>, all forced the buried memories of that cursed place to resurface.</p><p>After several minutes of driving inside the town proper, the van started slowing down on its own, refusing to pick up speed no matter how hard Judy stepped on the gas. Realising what was about to happen, she turned the van down a side street, slowly crawling to a stop. With a clickety-clack from the engine, the poor old workhorse finally gave up.</p><p>Judy got out of the cab and was thoroughly reacquainted with the pungent odour of sewage, garbage, urine, and who knows what else. She saw steam hissing from the engine bay, escaping through the edges of the hood.</p><p>“Fuckin’ A,” she groaned. She would’ve liked to get closer to her destination.</p><p>Judy looked at her watch; just past three o’clock, it showed. Being stranded in Bordervillage was the last thing she needed. To make matters worse, she was likely going to get into trouble for being tardy. She couldn’t pop the van’s hood to take a peek at the engine - not while it was still hot. She’d have to come back to it after her biz was concluded.</p><p>With a frustrated slam of her palm onto the side of the van (regretting it immediately after - <em>ouch</em>), she set off on foot towards the town centre for her objective - McGraw’s Tech Emporium.</p><p>The streets were bustling with pedestrians as she went on her way, often having to slow down to navigate through the crowds. Some streets were lined by stalls of various sizes with merchants peddling a plethora of different wares and synthetic foodstuffs. The rattling of jackhammers was pervasive, as many of the old single-storey buildings were being knocked down or vertically expanded in the ever-ongoing rapid urbanisation.</p><p>She passed by the usual places: O’Brien’s Diner, which she would’ve liked to pop into were she not pressed for time; Bordervillage Pawn Shop; the SuperDuper Mart; Willy’s Weiners; Trauma Team International – South Oregon; and about half a dozen sex shops.  </p><p>She took a final turn down a narrow, insalubrious street where McGraw’s was located. A couple of scantily-clad working girls were gossiping about their latest clients. As Judy passed them, one of them eyed her up.</p><p>”Hey baby, you lookin’ for a good time?”</p><p>Hard as it was to, Judy ignored her and kept walking. </p><p>On the sidewalk in front of her, two men sat opposite each other at a table, playing some sort of board game. A radio was tuned into Network News 54, with the presenter broadcasting a financial analysis of all major corporations’ performance in the last week.  </p><p>“… <em>turning to Arasaka, despite the recent troubles the giant zaibatsu has faced with the attack on its Night City headquarters, as well as the recent bombing of its casino in the Crystal Palace, stocks have gone up by fourteen percent, as last month saw the rollout of their next-generation Perpetual Fusion Cores in an additional thirty-six cities worldwide. The time to buy is now, folks!”</em></p><p>“Haha, stonks,” grinned one of the two men with gap-toothed gums on display. He moved a plastic piece in the form of a circle on a red-and-black checkerboard.</p><p>The man in front of him looked up from the board and irritatedly retorted.</p><p>“It’s <em>stocks</em>, you fuckin’ goon!" he exclaimed. "Why're you listenin’ to this shit anyway? Even if you got off your ass ‘n did somethin’ useful with your life, you couldn’t afford a single share even after thirty lifetimes!”</p><p>Dejected, the first man frowned and turned the knob on the radio to flip between stations.</p><p>As Judy stopped in front of the two men, she recognised the song that started blasting. It was popular back in Night City, especially in the district of Pacifica and its Haitian Creole community.</p><p>
  <em>RATATATATATA Ralé ici a! </em>
  <br/>
  <em>RATATATATATA Ralé ici a!</em>
  <br/>
  <em>RATATATATATA RATATATATATAT…</em>
</p><p>She tried hard not to think of the Voodoo Boys, and what they did to Evelyn. Although Judy hated violence and death, she was glad V took care of all the scumbags who hurt her best friend – the Voodoo Boys; her old boss from Clouds, Woodman, who she later discovered was a twisted fuck; those scavs from the power plant…</p><p>Judy turned to the second man, who was cringing at the song. He was scraggy and middle-aged; balding, with a short, unkempt beard. He wore a battered, ruddy-brown synthleather trench coat. She had no idea how he wore that thing all day in the blistering heat.</p><p>“Got anythin’ new for me?” she asked him. She folded her arms in front of her chest.</p><p>The man looked up at her. Bringing himself to put up (what he thought passed for) a salesman’s vibe, he flashed a coquettish grin. Together with the golden grillz on his teeth, his expression made Judy extremely uncomfortable. His odd mannerisms reminded her of Fingers, the ripperdoc from Jig-Jig Street - another depraved asshole who played a role in Evie’s demise. Part of her enjoyed watching V pummel his face in.</p><p>The man stood up from his chair. He grabbed the sides of his coat, extending his arms outward to expose the inside and revealing the myriad of pockets full of dubious goods. They were stuffed with anything ranging from small melee weapons, like shivs and butterfly knives, to cheap-looking small-calibre pistols and revolvers, to all manner of backstreet drugs: Blue Glass, ‘Dorph, Black Lace; to an eclectic mix of colourful sex toys. His merchandise wasn’t what bothered her though.</p><p>Judy always felt a bit uneasy around ‘borgs or metalheads - those who replaced so much of their body with chrome they were more machine than man. The Maelstromers came to mind; gangoons who were addicted to swapping entire swathes of flesh, especially their faces.</p><p>The man in front of her had the entire lower-half of his body below the abdomen replaced with cybernetics. Many opted to cover their cyberlimbs either with SynthSkin™. Those who could afford it opted for RealSkin™. His cheap Zetatech® cybernetic pelvis, legs, and feet lay bare, however. The unsettling sight was the collection of phallic metal rods of various shapes and sizes, holstered on bandoliers that were strapped around both of his thighs. Presumably, they would slot into his groin, interchangeable at a whim as it tickled his fancy. Judy didn’t want to think about any of that, or whoever the unlucky recipients were.</p><p>“Sure you don’t wanna peruse through any of my other… <em>lovely </em>wares?” he said, coyly.</p><p>“Keep tellin’ you this – don’t want any of your other crap. You found any new cards for me, or what?” she replied, scowling at the man.</p><p>Dropping his façade, he rolled his eyes and let go of his trenchcoat, slumping back down onto his chair. He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out three worn, discoloured postcards. He tossed them onto the table towards Judy.</p><p>“Here, got these last week,” he said. He pulled a cigarette out from his coat and lit it up with a metallic thumb which doubled as a flip lighter.</p><p>Judy picked up the postcards. She looked at the first one. <em>Greetings from Cannon Beach!</em> She already had that one – so she dropped it back onto the table. The man curiously raised an eyebrow.</p><p>She grabbed each of the remaining two in either hand to inspect them individually. On her left hand, the postcard had a dog-ear; she straightened it. <em>Come visit the waters of Crater Lake</em>, it said. On her right hand, a coffee cup stain was visible on the front of the card. <em>Wish you could see Multnomah Falls</em>.</p><p>She flipped the postcards to have a look at the photos. They were beautiful.</p><p>But she was running out of time. She looked at the man. “Never did say where you keep findin’ these.”</p><p>He scoffed. “Y’really wanna know?” he said, as he puffed at his cigarette.</p><p>She stared at the postcards once more and thought about it. Who knows what sort of unscrupulous sources he had? Did she want to have this little thing of hers ruined, too?</p><p>
  <em>No, I don’t wanna know.</em>
</p><p>“I’ll take these two,” she said, looking back at him.</p><p>The irises in her eyes started glowing as her pupils suddenly shone an irradiant, azure blue. The man’s eyes followed suit. A loading bar appeared in her digital interface as she instructed the operating system in her cyberdeck to perform a short-wave transfer of Eurodollars to the merchant. Six-hundred eddies apiece is what they'd agreed on several months ago.</p><p>As the loading bar reached one hundred percent, it was marked with a beeping noise, indicating that the transfer had gone through.</p><p>“’Till next time,” she said. She pocketed the postcards and started off again.</p><p>The man nodded with a grunt and turned to his companion, who was still enjoying the tune from the radio as it resounded throughout the whole block.</p><p>“Turn that fuckin’ shit off, it’s givin’ me a headache,” he demanded, as he moved a piece on the checkerboard.</p><p>Judy heard the <em>RATATATATATA </em>suddenly stop. She briefly passed by a run-down alleyway between two tenements and glimpsed the view of a dorphhead sat on a cruddy, torn mattress. He was giggling to himself, no doubt enjoying the high of his life. Looking across the street, she saw a bum tossing bits of rubbish into a burnt-out metal bin, probably kindle for the fire that was going to keep him warm in the chilly night.</p><p>Nestled between a dirty-looking locust fryery and a sex shop, McGraw’s was a poky little store, hardly worthy of the term “emporium.” Chain mesh lay behind the shattered windows and a pink neon <em>OPEN </em>sign kept flickering, buzzing as it tried its best to remain alight. A huscle stood next to the entrance - a giant ‘roided-out man who reminded Judy of an Animal gangoon. He would always ogle her whenever she stepped inside. And that time was no different.</p><p>Irritated, she pushed in the door to the store. A small chime resounded through the store as the door brushed against a little bell. She saw McGraw sat behind the counter with chopsticks in hand, champing on what looked like deep-fried locusts.</p><p>He was a hairy, paunchy old man with a cybernetic eye. Long, oily strands of grey hair were slicked back on his head. His sweaty, white tank top had flecks of grease stains strewn about. It was thin enough to reveal pierced nipples underneath, with a chest full of hair that protruded from everywhere it could.</p><p>He was watching what looked like a boxing match on a small-screen television. Judy guessed Hernandez, a favoured pugilist of the Pacific Northwest, was probably giving his all against some foreign heavyweight or other. McGraw looked up at her as she approached.</p><p>“There you are, thought you weren’t comin’ today!” he proclaimed with a loud belch, turning back to his game.</p><p>“Was held up,” she said. “Got the stuff?”</p><p>“Gimme a minute, will ya? Andropov’s takin’ a beatin’ just now,” he replied, bits of fried locust spewing out as he spoke and chewed.</p><p>Judy didn’t like the man, but she was desperate; she had to ask nicely.</p><p>“Can’t, c’mon, I’m late as-is. Cooke’s gonna ride my ass once I get back. Please?”</p><p>He looked up at her with an annoyed grimace, staring for a long moment before putting down the takeout box of locusts on the counter and sighing. He got up from his stool.</p><p>She noticed McGraw's midriff was exposed; his tank top was a few sizes too small for him. The pierced bellybutton on his hairy gut proudly displayed a miniature-sized dreamcatcher. Judy noticed he decided to wear lime, skin-tight leopard-print leggings that day - yet another tint in his colourful wardrobe.</p><p>“Alright babe, just for you.”</p><p>Something deep within her chest stirred at that. Anger.</p><p>A trait likely inherited from her grandmother, her hotheadedness occasionally reared its ugly head. Briefly churning, bubbling, it would lead to an outburst of rage, directed at whoever was unfortunate enough to be its target - mostly during the spell with Maiko. It very rarely got to that point nowadays, she'd had to learn to keep a lid on things and stay out of trouble. That time at Fingers M.D.’s clinic was an exception - the lightning-quick backhanded slap for insulting her best friend took even V by surprise.</p><p>Judy balled her fists as McGraw shuffled to the backroom.</p><p><em>Don’t call me that, fucker</em>.</p><p>On his return, he came back carrying two boxes before plopping them on the counter and sitting back down to watch the match. She inspected the contents. The usual suspects were there: nutrient pumps, water purifiers, air filters, liquid nutrient enrichment units. But Judy noticed something was missing – the most important piece of the puzzle.</p><p>“Where’re the sunlamps?” she asked, betraying a hint of worry.</p><p>“Don’t got ‘em,” he replied, chowing down on locusts again.</p><p>There it was again, that feeling - her inner demon of rage.</p><p>“You fuckin’ kiddin’ me? We had a <em>deal!”</em> she said, folding her arms as she tried to remain calm.</p><p>“So what? Deals change. Couple o’ bennies from Horse Heaven came by yesterday ‘n gave me double the scratch for ‘em. ‘Sides, I gotta make a livin’,” he said, shooting her a dirty glare before turning his attention back to the screen.</p><p>
  <em>Horse Heaven is willing to pay twice as much for sunlamps? Fuckin’ nova…</em>
</p><p>She pulled out the credchip she was given, loaded with the eddies meant for <em>all</em> the parts, missing ones included.</p><p>“You’re a fuckin’ dick, you know that?” she said.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah. Now pay up,” he said, gaze fixated on the screen. The boxing match commentator was getting more excited. <em>Hernandez comin’ in with the left hook! </em></p><p>“Get ‘im! Don’t let up!” shouted McGraw at the television. He leaned in closer.</p><p>Judy furrowed her brow and rested her temple on one hand. McGraw paid her no mind. Composing her self, she lifted her head back up after a few moments.</p><p>“Can’t give you this credchip if you ain’t got all the goods,” she said.</p><p>Seemingly engrossed in the fight, McGraw didn’t say anything at first. After a while, he turned to face Judy. His cybernetic eye whirred and focused on her, lens zooming and aperture shrinking.</p><p>His tone was menacing. “That so?” he said.</p><p>He put the takeout box down on the counter once more and wiped his mouth with his forearm, evidently finished with his grub for good.</p><p>“How ‘bout this,” he smacked his lips. “You gimme that chip, ‘n I maybe get you the same stuff next time. An’ the sunlamps? Well… I may hold ‘em, see if you can come up with a better offer. No promises,” he said, before turning back to his screen.</p><p>Judy’s heart started pounding against her chest. Her head was throbbing something fierce. She was gritting her teeth so hard that, for a moment, she thought they might shatter.</p><p>“But-,” she started.</p><p>“No ifs or buts,” he interrupted. “An’ if you’re not fuckin’ happy about it, feel free to fuck off ‘n get ‘em someplace else,” he said with a mischievous grin, knowing full well that wasn’t an option for her.</p><p>Both fists clenched, she turned her head away. Pursing her lips and closing her eyes, she tried to subdue the inferno extant deep within the depths of her psyche, now trying its hardest to claw its way out.</p><p>The injustice of it all, yet again. The story of her life. It was inescapable.</p><p>The world was one cruel circus of brutes picking on the weak, the innocent, the helpless. Or brutes picking on other brutes, all the way up the pecking order, in manners all the more sophisticated, to the very highest rungs of the corporate ladders - where only the most cunningly brutal, or perhaps, brutally cunning, could, indeed thrive and exert themselves on everyone else below them. That was the state of affairs; it felt like that’s how it’s always been. And there was no changing it.</p><p>She had no choice but to agree.</p><p>Judy tossed the credit chip onto the counter, which McGraw quickly grabbed. She then realised she couldn’t carry the big boxes back.</p><p>Sighing and crossing her arms, she turned to McGraw. “Got anythin’ to transport these? Van’s further away this time,” she said, in a sombre voice.</p><p>“Ask me nicely,” he said. Captivated, his face was inching ever closer to his screen.</p><p>The fire burned in her heart with an ardent resurgence.</p><p>Her outburst didn't miss a beat. “Fuck you, asshole!” she yelled.</p><p>Although she was much smaller, she felt like she wanted to pounce on him, gouge his cybernetic eye out, and stuff it down his throat. She wanted to zero him with her bare hands. But she knew she couldn’t. V definitely could've, and would've...</p><p>McGraw bust a gut, slapping his knee as he laughed uproariously.</p><p>He wiped a tear from his ‘ganic eye. “I like you Jude. Use that pushcart over there,” he said, waving his hand in the general direction of a corner in the shop. “Bring it back with ya next time, or I’m chargin’ you extra.”</p><p>Still battling to maintain her composure, she quickly spun around to grab the dolly that was folded up and propped against the wall. She heard the fight commentator from the TV seemingly lose his mind in excitement.</p><p>
  <em>Andropov showing signs of weakness after that flurry of hits… Look at that footwork from Hernandez! … Oh! Oh! A one-two punch from the Night City champion! And Andropov is down! He’s down! My goodness! It’s a complete knockout! K.O.!</em>
</p><p>Judy grabbed the two-wheeled cart, unfolded it, and wheeled it towards the counter. She saw McGraw stood up, celebrating Hernandez’s victory by shouting and fist-pumping the air. His ample belly flab jiggled as he bounced about.</p><p>Fighting a flurry of anger, hatred, sadness and dread, she felt like she was about to cry.</p><p>She loaded the boxes and pushed the dolly out the store. The elated shopkeeper paid her no mind.</p><p>Stepping outside, she felt the huscle by the door leer at her yet again. Although still incensed, she also felt drained and wanted to leave as soon as possible.</p><p>But her inner demon could not let it slide. Dampened by her inner turmoil, it was more an ember than a fire at that point. Rather than lash out and struggle with her again, Judy felt encouraged by it in an odd esprit-de-corps. It wanted her to stand up for herself.</p><p><em>Be brave</em>.</p><p>She turned around to face the big lunk.</p><p>“The fuck you keep lookin’ at, <em>holmes</em>?” she said. She noticed she inadvertently puffed her chest out a bit as if she was about to square up with him.</p><p>The huscle who was twice her size scoffed and looked away, suddenly disinterested - maybe slightly intimidated, too?</p><p>She made her way back to the Sea Dragon, pushing the cart past the sleazy merchant, who was still focused on his boardgame. She weaved her way back through the same streets, with many sidesteps taken to avoid the crowds. </p><p>On her way back she spotted something puzzling, if a bit unnerving.</p><p>An all-black Chevillon Emperor 620 SUV was parked in front of the local militia office; the state bureaucracy hadn’t had the time or will to set up a proper police station yet. Had it not been for the dusty tyres and undersides, the vehicle would’ve looked factory-new, with the sunlight bouncing from its shiny, buffed paintwork.</p><p>There was no mistaking it – suits were slowly encroaching on Bordervillage. But what could the corpo-rats possibly want with such a shithole?</p><p>Had Judy the desire to further think on this, she couldn’t. She was out of time, and she had to be laser-focused on getting back home.</p><p> </p><p>Judy eventually returned to the van, and loaded everything in the back. It was getting dark.</p><p>She hopped into the cab, and pressed the <em>START </em>button next to the steering wheel. The engine was cranking, but there was no ignition. Of course.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck.</em>
</p><p>Caught up in the tumult, she had forgotten – the poor thing had broken down on her way in.</p><p>
  <em>Shit!</em>
</p><p>She got back out of the cab after pulling the latch to pop the hood. She started panicking a bit; she absolutely could not be stuck here. Now more of a guardian angel than anything, her inner demon chimed in again.</p><p>
  <em>Focus. You fixed a fire truck at half your age.</em>
</p><p>It was right. This should be a piece of cake. She lifted the hood and looked inside the engine bay.</p><p>When troubleshooting a car’s engine, it was handy to have two people work at it: one by the steering wheel to press the ignition, and one by the engine to diagnose the issue. Judy had been tinkering with her van by herself for a long time. Ever-confident in her ability to take things apart and improve them, she modified the stock remote fob to act not only as a lock but also as an ignition switch.</p><p>“Okay, think,” she said to herself. “You got this, Jude.”</p><p>
  <em>Battery? No, don’t be stupid. The solenoid clicked. Starter motor? No, gonk, the engine was cranking. Fuel pump losing fuel? Fuck’s sake, no! It’s not starting. Sparkplugs? Yeah... maybe, ought to check ‘em first. </em>
</p><p>So she did with repeated clicks from her remote. But she saw sparks coming out of them whenever she pressed it.</p><p>She spent the next half hour or so diagnosing other potential issues. Tools were brought from the back of the van, hands were caked in oil and grease. She could only think of one final thing…</p><p><em>The electric coupling module</em>. <em>Shit, that’s bad. </em></p><p>The module regulated voltage to the compressor, which the fuel pump needed to inject CHOOH<sub>2 </sub>into the cylinders. But there was a way to jury rig it.</p><p>
  <em>Gotta rig a hotwire.</em>
</p><p>During normal operation, the compressor would get turned on and back off as required. Hotwiring the module meant the compressor would always stay on. It was risky, as it could mean having it seize up at any moment and cause the engine to stall. But Judy was out of time and out of options.</p><p>She executed the hotwire. In an irrational fear that the engine would somehow explode, she took a couple of steps back and pressed on the remote. The same cranking could be heard as the cog on the starter attempted to bring the engine to life. No ignition.</p><p>
  <em>C’moooon, please. </em>
</p><p>Judy hoped her pleading would somehow help coax the van to awaken from its slumber. Pressing the remote again, she got the impression the cranking lasted for a split second longer. But the engine still didn’t start.</p><p>Letting out an exasperated sigh, she pressed the remote one more time.</p><p>All of a sudden, it was as though someone decided to stab the old V6 with an Air Hypo. The van roared to life with a deafening <em>VROOM</em>, pistons and crankshafts whirring to life as the engine gasped for more chooh.</p><p>
  <em>Oh, thank fuck. </em>
</p><p>Relieved, she closed the hood of the old Villefort Columbus. Darting towards the cabin, her holo took her completely by surprise as it started chiming. She stopped to investigate.</p><p>It was an unknown caller, as her digital interface displayed a faded avatar with a question mark. But she answered anyway.</p><p>“Hello?”</p><p>The male voice boomed from the other end.</p><p>“HAVE YOU HAD AN ACCIDENT?!”</p><p>“Wh-,” she tried replying, but was immediately cut off.</p><p>“Aww. We’re sorry to hear that,” he continued. “But good news! You may be eligible for a payment protection insurance claim - PPI! We at Merill, Asukaga, &amp; Finch Insurance can help you get the money you are owed! M, A &amp; F are the premium…”</p><p>Judy hung up, and promptly blocked the number.</p><p>
  <em>Motherfuckers.</em>
</p><p>She’d been getting these incessant spam calls for a while now, and against her better judgment, she hadn’t set it so that she’d only be called by her contacts. Part of her wondered – hoped, that maybe V would reach out under a different alias; that she’d had to change her identity after what went down at the Crystal Palace. Already mentally exhausted, Judy decided then she’d stop being silly.</p><p>She blocked any further calls from unknown numbers.</p><p>She put her tools back in the van, closing the double doors. She looked at the gonk doodles she traced on them years ago - the stick figure divers in white permanent marker. She remembered the tranquillity of the morning; the sights from the seashore; the happy memory of Dicknoodles; the postcards.</p><p>But the mayhem of recent events pushed all that to the back of her mind. Every now and again she’d be reminded that life, although better, was far from perfect. Right then though, one thing ceaselessly gnawed at her.  </p><p>
  <em>Cooke is gonna fuckin’ kill me.</em>
</p><p>Heavy clouds now hovered above in the twilit sky. She looked up.</p><p>
  <em>Shit, acid. Better delta.</em>
</p><p>The van's engine purred as it awaited its driver. Judy got back in the van. Operating the controls somewhat frantically, she performed a U-turn to swing out of the side street.</p><p>She headed further downtown, where she would turn northward up the US 199.</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The two men were still sat at the table, finishing their latest game on the checkerboard.</p><p>The sleazy merchant grinned as he made a series of moves with a black circle piece. With that, he had won yet another game – the score was twelve-nil.</p><p>“Pay up,” he said with a devious smile. He started to pick at some old bits of food stuck in his golden grillz.</p><p>The man in front of him, banned from enjoying the radio, tossed him a few more eddies and sulked.</p><p>As the merchant picked up the bills from the table, he saw a vehicle turn into their street. An Emperor 620? Very high-class. What was it doing here, he wondered?</p><p>The black SUV slowed to a stop in the middle of the street, parallel to their table.</p><p>Two large, burly men then stepped out at the same time. They were draped in pristine, all-black trench coats with black-tinted speed shades covering their eyes. The merchant could just about spot the identical cybernetic neck implants. He realised they must be some serious corpo muscle to afford that.</p><p>The two huscles walked towards the seated men and stopped in front of them.</p><p>“Wh-.. what can I do for you fellas,” he said with a nervous grin, eyes flicking between the two imposing figures.</p><p>“We are looking for somebody,” said one of them.</p><p>The merchant noticed they spoke with a funny accent; he’d never heard it before. Were they European? Russian? British? Maybe, but it was a complete guess – he couldn't  accurately point to Europe on a map if his life depended on it. Against his better judgment, the merchant decided he’d try to score a quick buck from these bennies.</p><p>“Can deffo’ help with that,” he replied, with a bit more confidence. “Thing is, in this town, nothin’ comes without a price. Sure we can…”</p><p>He almost didn’t see it.</p><p>Like an arrow from a bow, the huscle closest to him struck him in the neck so hard the merchant thought his head was lopped off. He grabbed his throat with his hands, maniacally coughing and gasping for air.</p><p>As he dropped to his cybernetic knees with a <em>clank</em>, he saw the other huscle effortlessly plant his companion’s face into the checkerboard. The table split in two as teeth, blood, and pieces from the board game flew in the air.</p><p>The first huscle calmly retrieved a datapad from the inside of his coat.</p><p>“You will tell us where this woman is,” he said, offering the datapad to the merchant. He couldn't look though - he still in a coughing fit.</p><p>The datapad displayed an article from <em>Relive.it – Braindance Quarterly</em>. It was a guest post, from one of Night City’s young up-and-coming braindance editors. A portrait shot of a young woman was displayed on the side.</p><p>The article was signed by one Judy Alvarez - BD editor from Kabuki, Night City.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you all for all the wonderful comments! Please, keep them coming! I enjoy reading them all.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Judy heads to her grandparents' town. She confronts several challenges.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Far away from the light pollution of Night City, the stars shone like tiny pinpricks of radiance in the void-black darkness of the night sky.</p><p> </p><p>There was no music to be heard now.</p><p>Sapped and emotionally drained, the road noise was a muddled droning inside Judy’s head as she stared into space, thinking on the events of the past couple of hours.</p><p>She was on the final stretch of her journey. Heading south-eastwards down the I-5, she had passed through the abandoned town of Grants Pass before reaching her final destination of New Ashland – a fairly small farming community where her grandparents had moved to a few years back. It was a town of no more than a couple of hundred people, off the beaten path, featuing massive hydroponic greenhouses placed in neat rows in a fenced-off compound on the outskirts.</p><p>After passing by the greenhouses, Judy approached the quaint little town well into the night. A few windows gave off a faint light here and there; most of the houses had gone dark, with their occupants soundly asleep.</p><p>She eventually reached the town’s main road. The important establishments were spread along both sides, akin to a frontier town in an old western. It featured various two-storey houses, along with the general goods store, the sheriff’s office and lock-up, the All-Faiths Church, and the town bar.</p><p>The dainty little workshop where Judy spent most of her time was at the far end of the road opposite the bar. Parking in front of her workshop, she could hear country music from the bar. The patrons were evidently in good spirits that night. She got out of the van and opened the back to grab the boxes, which she then carted to the workshop. She unlocked the door, then stepped inside and switched on the lights.</p><p>The workshop was modestly-sized, if a bit cluttered. It had ample shelving propped against the side walls, which held boxes and bins full of different mechanical and electrical spare parts. Workbenches lined the back wall, similarly crowded with different hydroponic equipment in various states of disrepair. A hook panel was affixed to the same wall, where a diverse range of hand tools were hung, such as screwdrivers of various types, socket spanners, Allen keys, and mallets of different sizes. A trolley held bins full of screws, bolts, washers, and nuts. Power tools, drill bits, and handsaws were littered on every possible worksurface.</p><p>She had a look over some of the repair jobs on her to-do list for tomorrow: a couple of rotary grower motors, three water pumps, and a nutrient injector. Not too bad, all things considered.</p><p>The failure rate of all the agricultural tech the town used was annoyingly high – it was all cheap stuff of Kang Tao make. She usually had to work late nights to keep up with her workload. She might’ve made a start on them as they looked simple enough to fix. But Judy was tired, hungry, and upset. She just wanted to go home.</p><p>She left the boxes inside, and stepped out to lock the unit back up. As she was about to spin around and make for the van, she heard the familiar voice she’d come to dread.</p><p>“Alvarez, where the <em>FUCK </em>have you been?!”</p><p>
  <em>Great, just what I fuckin’ needed.</em>
</p><p>Judy slowly turned around to see Sherriff Thomas Cooke briskly walking towards her, probably coming from the noisy watering hole.</p><p>A stocky, tall man with a horseshoe moustache, he was wearing his usual cream-coloured NUSA sheriff’s uniform.</p><p>Cooke ruled New Ashland with an iron fist – it was his right to - for the town had no elections, and no mayor. Furthest away from the big cities, in the remotest parts of the NUSA, frontier justice was the norm once again - like in the very early days of the Wild West. Being part of the Western Corporate States, Oregon was mostly ruled by Biotechnica - and Cooke was its representative. As a corpo-sponsored sheriff, he was the supreme adjudicator and peacemaker in town.</p><p>Cooke had a chip on his shoulder, but he wasn’t like that at first. Only after Judy rebuffed his repeated advances with a '<em>You’re not my type, holmes!' </em>and a <em>'Don’t go there, dude' </em>that did he start giving her a really hard time.  </p><p>Stopping in front of Judy with his usual machismo-bravado, he put his cybernetic hands on his belt, cocking his head slightly to one side. Judy knew he considered it was an intimidating pose to unnerve her. He'd have to try harder than that, though.</p><p>“Why the hell are you late? You’re breaking curfew.”</p><p>She knitted her brow in confusion. “Curfew? The fuck’s there a curfew for?” she replied, crossing her arms.</p><p>“Cyberpsycho attack in Eugene,” he said, spitting a gob of chewing tobacco on the ground.</p><p>“That’s, like, far away. ‘Sides, how the fuck was I supposed to know?”</p><p>“You woulda known had you been here sooner. Answer the goddamn question.”</p><p>She shot daggers at him. “Van broke down, had to rig a fix. It took a while.”</p><p>He turned around to give it a brief look-over. “A likely excuse,” he scoffed, as he chewed on his tobacco.</p><p>Judy was bone-weary. She knew she shouldn’t escalate this... too much, anyway. “Fuck you want from me, <em>holmes</em>?! Not had the time to fix it - or anythin’ else for that matter - with all the shit you’ve been makin’ me do!” she yelled, throwing her arms up in despair.</p><p>“Maybe if you were half as good as you think you are, you wouldn’t be so slow at doin’ em!” he retorted.</p><p>A few people stood outside the bar to investigate the commotion. A woman’s voice piped up. “C’mon Cooke, leave her alone!”</p><p>The sheriff rolled his eyes, but otherwise didn’t move an inch from his spot.</p><p>Judy folded her arms back up, her expression twisting into a piercing scowl. “Why’s the bar open if there’s a curfew, huh?” She nodded at the crowd.</p><p>“Nothin’ to concern yourself with. We were havin’ a meetin’.”</p><p>
  <em>Yeah, like fuck you were.</em>
</p><p>“Now, if you’re done askin’ pointless questions - did you get the stuff?” He continued chewing his tobacco.</p><p>Judy lowered her head and closed her eyes, pinching her brow and considering her next words. “I didn’t get the sunlamps,” she said curtly.</p><p>“What?!” He spat some more tobacco on the ground. “Why the fuck not?!” he fumed.</p><p>“Your old pal McGraw cut a deal with Horse Heaven. Offered to buy ‘em for twice the price.”  </p><p>“Shit, Alvarez!” he exclaimed. He took off his sheriff’s hat, and ran a hand through his brown, slick-backed hair. “How could you fuck that up?”  </p><p>“Don’t pin this on me, asshole! Wouldn’t’ve had to use two-bit vultures like him if you coughed up the scratch.”</p><p>He narrowed his eyes. “Fuck’s that supposed to mean?”</p><p>“You damn well know what I mean.”</p><p>He did. He started to pace about with his hands on his hips, agitatedly looking around at the ground, then up at the sky, then back down at her again. He had every reason to be worried. Half a greenhouse had gone dark, with all the sunlamps shorting out. The crops inside would wither and die in a few days.</p><p>The state, and by extension, the corp that controlled much of the affairs in Oregon - Biotechnica, didn’t care how Cooke ran the town, as long as it met its production quotas. Corpos really didn't appreciate not having their fresh fruit and vegetables sent to them in a timely manner. Biotechnica regularly sent New Ashland the money to keep things running smoothly. Only, Judy was pretty sure Cooke embezzled a lot of it. How else could he have afforded that vintage Malorian Arms revolver, or the shiny, new Thorton pickup?</p><p>“Goin’ home,” she announced. She started walking past him towards the van.</p><p>Cooke quickly grabbed her by the arm.</p><p>“Hey!” she protested.</p><p>He lowered his voice, speaking slowly and menacingly. “Now you listen to me. Don’t care about whatever it is you think you know.” He spat some more tobacco on the ground. “But remember – only reason I’ve not thrown you outta here yet is ‘cause of the respect I have for the old man, how he’s helped build this place. Don’t test me again.”</p><p>She heard the same voice from before. “Lay off Cooke, will ya? She’s had a long day.”</p><p>They both turned their heads to look at the woman who was walking towards them.</p><p>It was Angela, one of the storekeepers from the general goods store. A young woman of a similar build to Judy, with dirty-blonde hair and pearlescent blue eyes.</p><p>The sheriff turned to face Judy again. “You better fix this mess,” he hissed. Cooke then let go of Judy’s arm, and started walking back towards the bar, brushing past Angela.</p><p>Judy massaged the spot where he left his imprint.</p><p>“Hey, you okay?” said the woman as she drew closer, reassuringly put a hand on Judy’s shoulder.</p><p>“Yeah, fine.”</p><p>“He can be such a prick…” sighed Angela.  </p><p>Judy pressed her lips together and nodded.</p><p>“Hey, you go on and get some rest now, okay?”</p><p>“Yeah, will do. Thanks Angie.”</p><p>Judy had made a few acquaintances in New Ashland, yet very few of them she’d consider friends. Angie quickly became her best choom, though. They were both around the same age, and even shared some of the same interests - braindances being one.  </p><p>The young techie hopped back in the Sea Dragon. Thankfully, it started without a hitch that time. She pulled away and sped off towards her grandparents’ home.</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Judy saw a faint light coming from the living room as she parked in front of the Alvarez residence. She knew it was her grandmother, the light sleeper of the family.</p><p>Like all homes in the small town, the house was a modest single-storey prefab. Her grandparents’ one was painted white, with a small chimney jutting from one end of the low, pitched roof. </p><p>She unlocked the door and made her way inside.</p><p>The interior was fairly spartan. Although Judy had saved up more than enough eddies in Night City to lavishly decorate and install all sorts of amenities in the house for her grandparents’ comfort, they always refused, insisting she save it all for herself.</p><p>A beige two-seater fabric sofa was placed in the right-hand side of the room, with a brown armchair next to it and a small coffee table in front of it. A medium-sized television on a stand featured on the opposite side of the room. A chooh burner was in a corner next to it, metal chimney pipe rising to the roof. Several bookcases were located in front of a wall opposite the entrance. Her grandmother’s rocking chair was close by, with her basket of multicoloured knitting yarn balls right beside it.</p><p>The living room was covered in all manner of neo-Catholic iconography of the Virgin Mary, as her grandparents were adherents of one of the many Latin American splinter groups, <em>La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Santísima Trinidad</em>. Unlike other forms of Marianism, such as the one practiced by the Valentinos gang in Night City, her grandparents’ Church observed a more austere, puritan tradition.</p><p>Her grandmother emerged from the kitchen with a cup of tea in hand. She was wearing a plaid dressing gown, with her long silver hair tied back in a bun.</p><p>“Judy, <em>mi cielito</em>, where have you been?! I was worried sick!” she said, as she shuffled towards her granddaughter.</p><p>“<em>Nana</em>, what’re you still doing up? You should be in bed,” she said, hugging her grandmother.</p><p>“<em>Ay</em> <em>hija</em>! How can I sleep if I don’t know you’re safe? Have you eaten?”</p><p>“No…”</p><p>“<em>Pobrecita… ven conmigo</em>. I will heat up some tamales,” Mama Alvarez said. She grabbed her granddaughters’s hand and led her to the kitchen.</p><p>Judy sat down at the small kitchen table as her grandmother got to work preparing her food.</p><p>Though New Ashland grew plenty of natural produce, the residents weren’t allowed to set aside any of it for themselves – all of it had to be exported. CCTV cameras in the greenhouses made sure of that. Those who broke the rules were kicked out of town by Cooke and his Militech security drones.</p><p>“Went divin’ this mornin’,” Judy said, as she lazily drummed her fingers on the table.</p><p>Her grandmother, preoccupied with the chooh stove, briefly turned around to give her a concerned look. “Is that why you went out so early? Does Cooke know?” she asked gravely.</p><p>“Yeah… and, no… the van broke down on the way back. Used that as an excuse for being late,” she replied.</p><p>Mama Alvarez shook her head. “You need to be careful with that man, <em>hija</em>,” she said, as she worked the saucepan. “But I am glad you took some time for yourself. <em>Tu trabajas muy duro</em>.” (You work very hard)</p><p>Judy nodded, with sadness creeping in her gut. She hardly touched her braindance editing equipment since moving in. She hardly did anything except for work, really. “Dive was really nice, though," she mused out loud. "Even saw a sea animal!”</p><p>“Ooooooh, a ‘sea animal,’” mocked her grandmother jokingly, bobbing her head left and right for dramatic effect.</p><p>Judy chuckled. “I’m serious! Even recorded it! I’ll show you… later, I guess. It was beautiful.”</p><p>“<em>Si</em>, you will show me. I want to see this ‘sea animal’ now,” said Mama Alvarez, warmly smiling at her granddaughter.  </p><p>Her grandmother produced a plate of tamales after a short while, which she placed on the dining table in front of Judy. They were made from ground synthsirloin and cheap, artificial maize powder. It was one of the few traditional dishes Mama Alvarez  could make with the ingredients at her disposal.</p><p>“Eat up <em>flaquita</em>, you have hardly any meat on your bones!” Mama Alvarez took a seat opposite Judy, and sipped on her chamomile tea. She gave it a disgusted glance - it had gone too cold for her liking.</p><p>“Thanks, <em>nana</em>.” Judy started digging in. “How’s <em>nono </em>doin’? He feelin’ any better?” she asked, with a mouthful of food.</p><p>Her grandmother sighed. “He hasn’t eaten at all today. His fever’s not broken, too.”</p><p>Judy shook her head.</p><p><em>All from a fuckin’ little cut.</em>  </p><p>Virtually all antibiotics had lost their efficacy decades ago. Only the most top-shelf medicines still worked, but those were really expensive and hard to come by.</p><p>“We gotta do something <em>nana</em>,” she said, leaning back into her chair and folding her arms. “I’ll drive him to Crescent City. There’s a hospital there.”</p><p>Mama Alvarez shook her head. “<em>Hijita</em>, they will just turn you away. Even if they let you in, you’d have to wait for days. His treatment would bankrupt you, too.”</p><p>Judy sighed and leaned forward, placing her elbows on the table and her face in her hands. “MaxDocs doin’ anythin’?”</p><p>Her grandmother rubbed her temple. <em>“Si,</em> I think so. I think they’re stabilising him. But he must fight the infection on his own. The <em>Santa Madre </em>will protect him,” she said, crossing herself.</p><p>
  <em>This is such bullshit. The world is so unfair.<br/></em>
</p><p>“You must eat, <em>nietecita</em>. <em>Por favor</em>.”</p><p>They chatted for a while longer while Judy picked at her food. Once she'd finished, she got up and made for her bedroom to retreat for the night. Her grandmother stayed behind to clean up, resisting Judy’s protests to help and shooing her away.</p><p>On her way to her room, she peeked through her grandparents’ bedroom door that was left ajar. She saw her grandfather sleeping, wheezing with every breath he took. His great, silvery whiskers twitched as he mumbled in a cold sweat.</p><p>Her grandfather was instrumental in getting New Ashland up and running. His tech skills kept all the greenhouses in good order these past few years. Being rather advanced in age, Judy was glad to help shoulder some of his responsibilities when she moved in. But since the infection in his foot kept him bedridden for the past week, she’d taken over the entire workload. Judy couldn’t bear to see him in that state – couldn’t bear the notion of losing him, either.</p><p>
  <em>Why’s it always gotta turn to shit? Why does everyone close to me gotta die? </em>
</p><p>
  <em>No - he's not gonna die.<br/></em>
</p><p>She quickly cast the thought aside and moved further down the hallway until she reached her room. Shutting the door after her, she took her overalls off and got into bed under her thick duvet.</p><p>She lazily gazed around her room, first at the Perilous Futur posters on one of the walls by her desk, then the small aquarium where she rehomed some of the fish from her old apartment, then all the half-disassembled drones and little robots. Her eyes then settled on her desk, and the equipment that rested on it. It was a lot more modest than her setup in the basement of Lizzie’s Bar, or even that of her old apartment. But the braindance processing kit was all there: analysers, sensory signal amplifiers, acoustic and emotive wave monitors, facial expression translators, and datastream processing base station. Judy modded and tuned all of it of course - a fact which V picked up on when they first met, much to her surprise.</p><p>She then looked at the pack of smokes next to her keyboard. She recalled smoking like a chimney when she’d heard about what happened at the Crystal Palace. But she decided to go cold turkey several weeks after. Relapsing a few times since, her current streak was just over a week. It was really tempting to go for a cig just then.</p><p>Instead, she turned around to stare at the wall next to her bed. Her mind wandered aimlessly for a while. She thought of Laguna Bend.</p><p>Every night she would go to bed angry with herself for not finishing the virtu of her and V’s special day at the old dam. When they linked their neural tracks and swam weightless in the dark waters. When they shed the heavy burden of their daily struggles and enjoyed each other’s company. When she saved V’s life after that stupid Relic malfunctioned again.</p><p>That scroll was going to be Judy's <em>magnum opus</em>. But she couldn’t bring herself to touch it again; not after everything that’d happened. Not that she had the time, anyway. Perhaps it was for the best?</p><p>With the long day having taken its toll, she slowly drifted to sleep.</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Judy found herself back at the bungalow. She was basking in the afterglow under silken sheets.</p><p>Her head was laid atop V’s shoulder. The merc was propped higher up on the bed, enjoying a smoke.</p><p>She traced a finger across V’s collarbone.</p><p>“Tryin’ to see if I’m ticklish?” she grinned. “Gotta go further down.”</p><p>Judy looked up at her and smiled. “No… just been thinkin’…”</p><p>“’Bout me I hope?”</p><p>Judy chuckled. “Yeah…”</p><p>“So many great things about me,” she smirked. “Anythin’ in particular?”</p><p> </p><p>A brief pause.</p><p> </p><p>“Your name… or alias, whatever you mercs call it…”</p><p>V puffed on her cig. “Only those closest to me ‘ve ever known my name.”</p><p>“Oh…” Judy frowned.</p><p>“’Member my best choom Jackie? The one I told you about? He was the last person to find out.”</p><p> </p><p>Silence.</p><p> </p><p>“Come to think of it, they’re all gone. The ones who’ve known it.”</p><p> </p><p>Another pause. Longer.</p><p> </p><p>V started playing with wisps of green-pink hair.</p><p>“It’s Valerie… by the way,” she said.</p><p>Judy smiled and kissed the arch of V’s neck. She closed her eyes. “It’s beautiful…” She held V ever so slightly tighter.</p><p> </p><p>An indelible stillness in their warm embrace.</p><p> </p><p>“So… you, uh... wanna go again?” V said coyly. </p><p>Judy refused to register that.</p><p> </p><p>She eventually sighed. “No V, that’s not what happened next…”</p><p>“Oh?”</p><p>“We fell asleep. Spoke on the pier the next morning, ‘member? I finally made you that coffee…”</p><p>“Hmm.”</p><p>V passed the cig to her partner. Judy drew a quick puff, and handed it back. The room was hazy with smoke.</p><p>“I dunno Jude, you’ve been here so many times now.”</p><p>Judy sighed again. “’Member that gonk joke, ‘bout the lesbians and movin’ vans…?”</p><p>“Oh yeah. I told that, right? You remembered,” V said.</p><p>Judy slowly nodded. “Hard to forget a night like this...”</p><p>V also nodded in agreement. “You’ll have to though, eventually.”</p><p> </p><p>A sharp dagger to her heart.</p><p>Another pause.</p><p> </p><p>Judy looked up at V, and cupped her cheek. “Why did you have to go…?”</p><p>“Meanin’?”</p><p>“That fuckin’ casino…”</p><p>“You keep askin’ me that.”</p><p>“You don’t give a straight answer…”</p><p> </p><p>A moment of reflection.</p><p> </p><p>“Had no choice.”</p><p>“Fuck, V! There’s always a choice! You coulda told me… we coulda looked…”</p><p>“Should I ‘ve put you through all that?”</p><p>“Yes! Woulda done anythin’…”</p><p>“Of that, I’ve no doubt.” Another puff.</p><p> </p><p>Silence, once more.</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe you’re right, Jude.”</p><p>“’Course I’m right… We’d’ve found somethin’ to fix you…”</p><p>“What’s done is done.”</p><p>“You pushed me away…”</p><p> </p><p>The hush of the night.</p><p> </p><p>“Really sorry, Judy. Did what I had to do.”</p><p>“Such a stubborn gonk…”</p><p>“Y’know you gotta move on… can’t keep comin’ back here.”</p><p>“Can’t, V…”</p><p>“You must.”</p><p>“It’s not that simple…”</p><p>“You have to try.”</p><p>“But…”</p><p>“No buts.”</p><p> </p><p>The danger of tears. Her eyes moistened.</p><p> </p><p>“No one’s ever torn down my walls like you have...”</p><p>V smiled. “Two birds of a feather, you and I, huh?”</p><p>“Yeah…” A tear flowed down Judy’s cheek. V rubbed it off.</p><p>“Don’t get too soppy, now. There’ll be others. You’re a helluva catch.”</p><p>Judy shook her head.</p><p>V stroked Judy’s green-pink hair. “It’ll be nova, you’ll see.”</p><p> </p><p>The embrace grew tighter.</p><p>A restrained sniffle.</p><p> </p><p>The room suddenly felt warmer.</p><p> </p><p>“Feel that?” V asked. “Go on now, gotta get up.”</p><p>“Just a few more minutes…”</p><p> </p><p>Judy felt a long kiss planted on her head.</p><p>“Go get ‘em, Punchin’ Judy.”</p><p>“No…”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Wake up.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The sun’s rays enveloped Judy in a blanket of warmth.</p><p>She slowly opened her eyes, looking out the window in her bedroom. It was mid-morning.</p><p>
  <em>Shit. </em>
</p><p>She quickly got out of the bed and put her overalls back on. She raced out of her room and into the kitchen.</p><p>She didn’t have time for breakfast. She grabbed a croissant from the cupboard and inspected the packaging. <em>Best before 2177. Consume within 10 years once opened. </em>She opened the plastic wrap and began munching on the croissant. She winced - it was excessively sweet.</p><p>Judy then entered the living room. Her grandmother was knitting what looked like a sweater, steadily rocking in her chair. She saw her granddaughter enter.</p><p>“<em>Buenos días hijita</em>,” she said. Her fingers were deftly handling the knitting needles.</p><p>“Mornin’ <em>nana</em>. How’s he feelin’?”</p><p>“A bit better I think, <em>gracias a Dios</em>.”</p><p>Judy nodded. “That’s great. Gotta run, though. Will be back late, don’t wait up.”</p><p>“Make sure you eat, <em>hija</em>.”</p><p>She kissed her grandmother’s cheek before turning to leave. “I will!”</p><p>“<em>Ve con Dios,</em>” Mama Alvarez said, smiling at her granddaughter.</p><p> </p><p>Judy stepped outside the house, closing the door behind her. She looked at her old van.</p><p>
  <em>Probably not a good idea to start it up again.</em>
</p><p>She decided she’d walk to the outskirts of the town where the greenhouses were located.</p><p> </p><p>As Judy was making her way there, all of a sudden she saw Cooke’s Thorton turn a corner towards her.</p><p>
  <em>Great.</em>
</p><p>Slowly approaching her, Sheriff Cooke rolled down his window. He leaned out.</p><p>“Alvarez, what the hell are you doin’ here? Why aren’t you fixin’ your mess?!”</p><p>
  <em>It’s not worth it.</em>
</p><p>“On my way to C6,” she said, gritting her teeth.</p><p>Cooke shook his head. “You’re about as useful as tits on a fish!” he yelled.</p><p>She flipped him the bird and kept walking.</p><p> </p><p>After about a quarter of an hour or so, Judy reached the greenhouses at the edge of town.</p><p>Militech drones and security droids patrolled the area. A droid scanned her as she approached the gated compound. It let her pass inside once the scan was completed.</p><p>Judy saw a Biotechnica truck leave through the automated gate - probably loaded with produce. Some of the farmers were milling about inside the front courtyard, chatting with each other, or making their way towards the greenhouses to their respective assignments.</p><p>The greenhouses were neatly laid out in rows of ten. There were four rows, for a total of forty greenhouses. They were constructed out of some form of thermally-conductive opaque glass, with concave solar panels covering the arched roofs in their entirety. Each greenhouse was approximately the size of a basketball court.</p><p>The town grew all sorts of fruit and vegetables for the corpo-rats: lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, spinach, strawberries, blueberries, watermelons, grapes, among others. Each greenhouse was focused solely on one plant, as they all had different growth times. Lettuce could be harvested as quickly as three weeks; tomatoes usually took twelve.</p><p>She made her way to Greenhouse C6, located in the third row, sixth furthest away from the town. As she entered Row C, she made her way past Greenhouse C2. She always felt a bit uneasy going in there. C2 grew zucchinis – <em>calabacitas</em>.</p><p>She arrived at C6, which was assigned to watermelons. Each greenhouse had a large monitor that indicated the status of all hydroponic growers inside. Forty out of the eighty LEDs were red, meaning they were offline.</p><p>Judy jacked in her Personal Link inside the security port to open the door. She then stepped into the narrow decontamination chamber. The slide doors closed behind her and the decontamination arch sprayed a light blue mist which thoroughly covered her. After a few moments, the doors in front of her opened with a few short, affirmatory <em>beeps</em>.</p><p>She stepped inside the sterile environment. Massive white lights illuminated the entire greenhouse.</p><p>Eighty rotary hydroponic growers were lined in four columns of twenty. Each grower was a suspended drum, about six feet both in diameter and length. The plants were attached to the inner face of the drum, with thin, tube-shaped sunlamps cutting across the inside length of the drum. As its name suggests, the sunlamp allowed the plants to carry out photosynthesis while the drum rotated a few degrees every hour, allowing the light to cover all angles.</p><p>The growers in the two columns on the right were functioning normally – the sunlamps were on, and the drums were rotating. What stood out were the ones on the left side of the massive room. The sunlamps were off. Each grower also displayed a flashing red light which indicated an issue.</p><p>The town couldn’t afford to toss away half the watermelons - they took eight weeks to grow. But they were going to spoil soon if something wasn’t done about it.</p><p>Lacking the spares from McGraw, she had to get the sunlamps working somehow. But they were shorted out. Judy had since fixed the root issue, of course – a fault in the greenhouse’s earthing and circuit breakers.</p><p>She started pacing about.</p><p>
  <em>Alright Jude, think. You’ve got a couple spares layin' around somewhere... Ugh, back at the workshop. A few more busted ones in there, too. Pain in the ass to carry all the way back here. Could extract the filaments from 'em… but no, that'd take too long. See if Angie’s got anythin’ in her store with high enough lumens? Wait, no… the sunlamps have special fittings. </em>
</p><p>She ran a hand through her green-pink hair, scratching the back of her head.</p><p>
  <em>Gonna have to take some from the other greenhouses. But which ones?</em>
</p><p>She took her phone out of her pocket, and started typing a message to Angela.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Judy Alvarez </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Hey angie, quick question – which plants grow the fastest? :-S]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>It took a minute for the reply to come through</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Angela Ricci </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Hey!]<br/>[Decided to respec into farming? Haha!]<br/>[Uhh… fastest would be the radishes I guess? 1 week]<br/>[Mint is about a week and a half]<br/>[Lettuce – 2 to 3 weeks]<br/>[What’s this for, by the way?]</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>Judy Alvarez</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Tell u later – thanks! u da best :-x]<br/>[Gtg]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Angela Ricci </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Oookay weirdo!]</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>She now knew what to do, but it was a monumental task for a single person. Switching out a sunlamp involved taking off a section of the drum wall to gain access to both ends of the lamp. And those walls were very heavy.</p><p>She needed help, but she didn’t like the answer to her problem.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>Judy Alvarez </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Cooke, got an idea. need to take 20 lamps from B2 and 20 from D9 and plug em into C6]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>The reply was almost instantaneous.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Thomas Cooke </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Whats your game, Alvarz???]<br/>[Whos gnna grow the radises an mint???]</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>Judy Alvarez</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Use ur brain for a sec cooke (if u have 1)]<br/>[Would u rather lose something which grows in 8 weeks or something which can grow back in 2]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Thomas Cooke </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Oh yea?? What the hell am I gnna tell Biotecnicha huh???]</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>Judy Alvarez </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Idc make some shit up holmes]<br/>[This is ur fuckup]</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>Thomas Cooke </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Watch it Avlarez!!! But fine!!] </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>Judy Alvarez </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[1 more thing – need some of ur droids to take the lamps out. cant do it on my own]</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>Thomas Cooke </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Gotta be shittin me!!! Can’t do anythin on your onw!!!!]<br/>[Fine… I’ll give yuo two!! Get it done!!!]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>And with that, Judy got to work.</p><p>Once the two Militech security droids arrived at her location, she instructed one to head over to Greenhouse B2 to take apart twenty sunlamps, and the other one at D9 to do the same. In the meantime, she’d get to work decoupling the ones in C6.</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It took the better part of the day, but the growers of C6 were up and running again, at the expense of some of the faster-growing produce.</p><p>The most laborious part was removing the drum walls and then reattaching them, as they were very heavy. Removing the sunlamps was a simple matter of unscrewing the fittings. She couldn’t have accomplished the day’s tasks without the droids.</p><p>Judy was exhausted, but she still had the various odd job she had to take care of back at her workshop – the things she looked at the previous night.</p><p>She left the greenhouse, and made her way back into town.</p><p> </p><p>It was dusk.</p><p>She opened her workshop back up and sat down at her workbench. She got out a SynthSnack and a Spunky Monkey Cherry she’d stashed away, taking a small break to satisfy her hunger and thirst.</p><p>Afterwards, she started fiddling with the various broken motors and pumps. She took them apart and inspected them, carrying out tests with a multimeter, checking the mechanisms, and replacing some of the gaskets and bearings.</p><p> </p><p>Judy was making good progress. Suddenly, she heard a knock on the workshop’s door.</p><p>“Come in…”</p><p>The door opened, and a head poked through.</p><p>“Hey Jude!” said Angela.</p><p>Angela tied her long hair in a ponytail that evening. Judy thought she looked cute with it done up like that.</p><p>“Hey Angie… what’s up?”</p><p>“Bobby, Davey and I were headed to the bar. And you’re coming too,” Angela proclaimed, opening the door fully.</p><p>“Can’t, got to fix this stuff up…” Judy said, looking back at the motor housing she was working on.</p><p>“C’mon, that can wait ‘till tomorrow. We miss you…”</p><p>Judy chuckled. “Hey close that door will you? It’s gettin’ cold in here.”</p><p>Angie defiantly folded her arms, leaning on one foot. “If you wanna warm up you gotta come grab a few drinks with us. You’ve got all day tomorrow to fix that stuff up.”</p><p>Judy narrowed her eyes at the young woman. After a few moments, she let out a long sigh. “Fine. Cooke can kiss my ass.”</p><p>“Attagirl!” Angela clapped excitedly.</p><p> </p><p>After locking up, they crossed the street and went inside the bar.</p><p>Bobby and Davey were sat at a table, already a couple of beers in.</p><p>“Hey, take a seat, I’ll go grab us some drinks,” said Angie.</p><p>“Alright, see you in a bit.”</p><p>Bobby and Davey were in the middle of some argument as Judy sat down to join them. “Hey guys!” she greeted them.</p><p>They turned to face her. “Hey Judy!” they replied in unison.</p><p>Robert and David Kaminski were twins, never leaving each other’s company. Tall and slender, they both made good workers for the hydroponic growers, as they could easily reach into the big drums to tend to the plants.</p><p>“Watcha guys discussin’?”</p><p>“Well, Bobby, the pea-brain that he is, thinks Bushidō III is too syrupy and doesn’t have enough action compared to Bushidō IV,” said Davey as he folded his arms and peered at his brother.</p><p>“And Davey, the self-proclaimed culture-vulture above mere mortals such as us, thinks that every Bushidō movie after III is just mindless violence porn wholly unworthy of aficionados such as him,” said Bobby, rolling his eyes.</p><p>Judy laughed. Those two were always disagreeing about something or other. “Wanna know what I think?”</p><p>“What?” they both said instantaneously, turning to face her once more.</p><p>“I think all the Bushidō movies have their ups and downs. Some’re better than others at bringing out different feelings in people – adrenaline, happiness, mushiness, sorrow.”</p><p>Angela came back with four beers. She gave two to Judy, and kept two for herself.</p><p>“Thanks Angie!” </p><p>“Yeah, thanks for the drink <em>Angela</em>!” said Davey, in a pretend-shocked face.</p><p>“Hey, you got one already. Judy and I gotta play catch-up!” Angela winked at her.</p><p>“Anyway,” Judy continued. “All the Bushidō movies have a bit of everythin’ to offer.” She grabbed one of the bottles. “Except Bushidō X, that shit’s just pure violence,” she conceded. “You get desensitized pretty quickly, and then it becomes meaningless. Know how it feels - used to edit BD pornos for a livin’.”</p><p>The twins looked at each other. She’d had their curiosity, but now she definitely had their undivided attention.</p><p>“Speaking of virtus, got the Bushidō collection in BD format. Kicks all those emotions into overdrive. Wanna borrow it sometime?” she asked, her gaze switching between the two.</p><p>“Yes!” they said simultaneously.</p><p>“What’s this now?” said Angie.</p><p>Judy shrugged. “Bushidō stuff. I got some more interesting BDs I can show you,” she said as she sipped on her beer.</p><p>Angie let out a brief chuckle. “Look forward to that.”</p><p> </p><p>They nursed their beers for a bit, chatting about random things.</p><p>“So, what was up with that plant stuff earlier, Jude?” asked Angie.</p><p>“Oh, yeah… ‘member half the watermelon growers in C6 were down? Took some sunlamps from the quickest-growing plants and replaced the busted ones in C6.”</p><p>“Oh my God, that must have been so hard taking those panels off,” said Bobby. “I was in C8 today, why didn’t you gimme a holler?”</p><p>Judy shook her head. “Took the whole day to do it. Didn’t want to keep you from your duties. ‘Sides, a couple of Cooke’s droids helped.” She quaffed her drink.</p><p>“Is it all sorted now?” asked Angie.</p><p>“Yep! Fuckin’ hard work though.”</p><p>“Hell yeah! If anyone could do it, it’s Punchin’ Judy!” said Davey, reaching out to give her a pat on the back.</p><p>“A toast, to Judy Alvarez! Saviour of New Ashland!” jokingly proclaimed Bobby.</p><p>They all laughed. Their bottles clinked together, and they knocked back their drinks.</p><p> </p><p>They talked for a while longer about their day, the weather in general, the cyberpsycho attack in Eugene, the new Arasaka fusion cores they’d heard about on the news, and various other things.</p><p>Eventually, Bobby and Davey retired for the night to go re-watch Bushidō V, hotly debating its strengths and weaknesses as they left the bar.</p><p>Judy and Angie were sat at the bar, having one of their long talks about human existence and the world at large.</p><p>“Ever wonder what life’d be like without all the big corps?” Judy asked.</p><p>“Oh boy,” said Angie, eyes widening. She called over the bartender and ordered a couple of tequilas. They were quickly poured.</p><p>“Remember I said I was born in Montana?”</p><p>“Mhm,’ said Judy. She took a swig of the tequila. She immediately recognised the taste. It was Centzon, V’s favourite; a habit Judy came to indulge in too. She felt a knot form in the pit of her stomach.</p><p>“Biotechnica kicked me and my family off our property in Helena. No reimbursement or anything. Just so they could build yet another silo for their chooh wheat fields,” said Angie, gulping down her drink.</p><p>“That’s fucked up.” Judy nodded, staring at the glass of Centzon.</p><p>“Yeah… Mentioned something similar happened to you, too?”</p><p>“Yeah, NC Dam Ltd kicked us out to build a dam where my hometown used to be.”  </p><p>Angie shook her head in disgust.</p><p>“Sometimes I wish I could just wipe ‘em all off the face of the Earth, just like that.” Judy snapped her fingers.</p><p>“You and me both,” Angie concurred.</p><p>They gazed into nothingness for a while longer, each lost in their own thoughts. Judy couldn’t finish her drink.</p><p>After a while, Angie perked up. “Hey, I got something I wanna show ya,” she said, as she got up.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“You’ll see!” Angie tossed a few eddies onto the bar, and pulled Judy’s hand to drag her up off her stool. “Come on!”</p><p>They left the bar and headed down the road towards the general goods store. Once they approached it, they circled round until they reached the back entrance.</p><p>“I’ll be just a moment,” said Angie. “Wait here.”</p><p>Angela unlocked the door and went inside. Judy leaned on a wall, looking up at the stars. Living in the middle of nowhere had its perks. Being far away from the light pollution of Night City meant she could see them clearly. The night skies were always beautiful.</p><p>The young storekeeper returned after a few minutes with a shoebox in her hands. Angie locked back up.</p><p>“What’s that?” Judy asked in a hushed voice.</p><p>“Not here. C’mon,” Angie whispered back</p><p>Angie led her away from the town.</p><p>After walking for a few minutes with nothing but the moonlight to guide them, they reached a dried-out gully with a few dead trees. Two flat rocks sat atop the crest. Angie planted herself on one of them, beckoning Judy to sit next to her by patting the other rock.</p><p>“’You’re kinda freakin’ me out here, Angie,” Judy said as she sat down next to her.</p><p>Angie smiled. “Trust me.” She placed the shoebox on her lap and lifted the lid.</p><p>Something was wrapped up in a plastic bag. After untying it, Angie opened the bag up and placed the box on Judy’s lap to reveal the contents inside. Judy looked inside. She was bowled over.</p><p>The bag contained a bunch of fresh strawberries.</p><p>They were of a bright, crimson red; ripe-looking, of different shapes and sizes, green tops still attached. Around a couple of pounds’ worth – fit for a corpo family.</p><p>“Angie… what the hell! If someone sees us…” she whispered loudly.</p><p>“Shush. No one’s gonna look for us out here.”</p><p>“How did you get this?”</p><p>“Bobby worked A8 today. A grower malfunctioned the past week. These are rejects – they don’t look pretty enough for corpos.”</p><p>Judy stared at them, and shook her head. “They’re gorgeous.”</p><p>“Bobby was supposed to burn them. I don’t know how, but he snuck them out.”</p><p>“And he gave them to you?”</p><p>“There were more. Him and Davey had half.”</p><p>“Huh…”</p><p>Judy lifted one of them out to inspect it. “Fuckin’ unbelievable they’d turn their noses up at this,” she said.</p><p>“Wanted you to share them with me.”</p><p>Judy was still kind of starving after the day’s work. It was hard to resist. “Sure about this?” she asked hesitantly.</p><p>“’Course I’m sure! Wouldn’t have brought you out here otherwise.”</p><p>Judy chuckled. “They’re gonna taste horrible after all that alcohol.”</p><p>“It’s now or never, Jude!” Angie emphasised.</p><p>Judy couldn’t recall if she’d ever had real strawberries before. She most likely didn’t - they were too rich for her blood. She decided she was going to take a bite out of the strawberry she was holding, after all. Immediately after she did so, it dawned on her that she was wrong a few moments ago. Oh so wrong.</p><p>Waves upon waves of wonderful sensations relentlessly bombarded her tastebuds. It was perhaps the only time a bombardment could be described in such a positive light. The strawberry was delicious. It was mouth-watering. It was also eye-opening, as she realised the countless strawberry-flavoured Shwabshwabs and Spunky Monkeys couldn’t hold a candle to the real thing.</p><p>Judy started slowly nodding her head as she chewed, spreading the taste around her mouth, much as a sommelier would.</p><p>“Well?” asked Angela, giddy with anticipation.</p><p>“Angie… feels like I’m gonna cry,” she giggled.</p><p>Angela laughed. “I knew you’d like it!”</p><p> </p><p>They spent a long while laughing, giggling - giddy as a couple of schoolgirls, still slightly inebriated.</p><p>They were sat on the ground closer to each other, backs leaning against the rocks they previously sat on. They continued their discussions about the world, and their lives within it. They had long since finished the box of strawberries.</p><p>“What about your has-beens?” Angie asked.</p><p>“Gone. Don’t wanna talk about ‘em,” she said.</p><p>“Oh. Sorry…”</p><p>“’S alright. What about you? Got anyone?” she asked, though she knew the answer.</p><p>“Nah, not since Travis. Have I told you about Travis? The fucking gonk.”</p><p>Angie spoke about Travis in detail: how he was such a bastard, how silly she was for falling for him, their awful breakup, and how they’ve been avoiding each other ever since.</p><p>Judy shook her head in disbelief. “Damn, Angie. You really deserve better than that asshole.”</p><p>Angela slowly nodded. Her eyes were downcast.</p><p>“Got your eye on anyone now?” Judy asked.</p><p>“Yeah… someone in particular.”</p><p>She was about to pry further, but then she registered the tone and read between the lines. Judy turned to face her. Angela was looking at her.</p><p>Time seemed to slow down.</p><p>Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was the crushing loneliness she’d felt the past few months.</p><p>But all of a sudden, Judy felt like she could get lost in Angie’s twinkling crystal-blue eyes. She felt butterflies appear in her stomach. Her heart started pounding fervently against her chest. She felt the redness swelter in her cheeks.</p><p>Angie slowly inched her face closer to her. Judy felt a rush of helplessness as she yielded to the overpowering warmth. There was no resisting it - she felt completely drawn to do the same. The flutters intensified, and her heart decided to skip a beat. She closed her eyes.</p><p>They locked lips. Judy could taste faint hints of strawberry and tequila.</p><p>Time stopped as her whole body tingled, sending frissons down her spine. The heat rose to her chest. The blissful moment morphed into what seemed like an eternity. She felt Angie gently graze her cheek with the back of her hand.</p><p>She felt that feeling before. It was exactly the same. She felt the same then, too. In a flash, it brought back a specific memory.</p><p>
  <em>This feels wrong.</em>
</p><p>Judy lurched her head back suddenly, reeling from the avalanche of emotion.</p><p>“A-... Angie, I’m sorry. I can’t do this right now,” she said, as she got up.</p><p>“W-wait… Judy, was it something I did?” Angie asked, concerned look on her face.</p><p>She shook her head. “No… no. I… it’s-…it’s me. Look, I gotta go.” Judy turned to walk away.</p><p>“Hey, Judy, wait!” she called out.</p><p>But Judy kept on quickly walking away.</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The stars were as radiant as ever.</p><p>Although Judy quickly strode away in double time, after a while she felt like she needed to slow down.</p><p>She was still on the outskirts. She came to a stop in front of a dead tree, leaning on it, processing what had just happened.</p><p>A pang of guilt coursed through her body. Subjecting Angie to that was not fair, she thought. Especially after what she’d just done for her. She took a big risk. She could’ve gotten kicked out of town – or worse – if she’d been discovered.</p><p>
  <em>The fuck’s wrong with me?</em>
</p><p>She sighed. She leaned with her back against the tree, sliding down until her bottom hit the ground. She hugged her knees.</p><p>Maybe V was right. Or rather, the V from her dreams. Judy couldn’t live in the past forever.</p><p>
  <em>“Y’know you gotta move on Jude… can’t keep comin’ back here.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You have to try.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Judy got her phone out. She navigated to V’s contact page. She renamed it after Laguna Bend – to the pet name she started calling V.</p><p>She scrolled through her messages.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Judy Alvarez </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Cuteness has nothin to do with it, mi calabacita]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong><em>calabacita&lt;3</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Calaba-wha?]</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>Judy Alvarez </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Nvm, nothing xD]<br/><em>[Alright, I gotta go. Byeeee]</em></em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She felt a pinch in her throat. Her eyes sparkled against the screen’s glow as tears began to pool. Despite it all, she couldn’t help but smile.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Judy Alvarez</strong>
</p><p><em>[Yooohoooo]</em><br/>[Know wat rymes with judy? BOOTY uh-huh uh-huh]<br/>[your so cuuuutee]</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong> <em>calabacita&lt;3</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Hey… you OK?]</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>Judy Alvarez</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Jus out wit some ferns. frieends]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong> <em>calabacita&lt;3</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Definitely drunk]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>She burst into laughter as she tried stifling the sadness coursing through her. Teardrops rolled down her cheeks. She tried wiping them away while also keeping her eyeliner tidy, sniffling uncontrollably. She knew she was probably failing, and looked a complete mess.</p><p>She stared at the other messages. V started sending her lyrics from Etta Sorentino’s <em>Only You</em> – the song that was stuck in her head. V had also sent her a “wish you were here,” together with a photo from one of her merc gigs in the Badlands. Judy’s favourite was probably the goofy (albeit suggestive) pictures V took of herself in her apartment, putting on the wetsuit Judy had sent her.</p><p>She felt compelled to listen to the voicemails she’d sent V after the Crystal Palace. The first few ones were the worst. She played them, biting on her lips as they trembled.</p><p>
  <em>V… I, please… Please let me know you’re still there.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>C’mon, c’mon, c’mon… pick up. Please.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>V, please… I can’t, I… Let me know you’re safe… Please?</em>
</p><p><br/>She spent a good few minutes sobbing quietly.</p><p>The dread of what had to be done was gradually mounting. Judy dropped her phone as she fumbled her way through the menus. She picked it back up. She went back to the contact page. She eyed the big red <em>DELETE </em>button.</p><p>She felt like she was being pulled in a million different directions. Every fiber of her being was telling her <em>not </em>to do it, whilst simultaneously telling her <em>to </em>do it.</p><p>
  <em>Press it. Don’t press it.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She’s gone. She’ll be back.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She’s dead. No, she’s alive.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She’s moved on. She’s still out there.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>No… she's right.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She wanted a quiet life. But she chose a blaze of glory.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Gotta think of yourself now.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>The morning of the heist when they last spoke, Judy joked that she’d receive postcards of outer space from V. So that she’d never forget her. But those postcards never came.<br/><br/></p><p>“Goodbye, Valerie.”</p><p>Judy pressed the button.</p><p>
  <em> <span class="u">User has been removed from your contacts</span> </em>
</p><p><br/>She got up, and headed back home.</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Mama Alvarez was knitting on her rocking chair. She saw her granddaughter come in. Judy’s cheeks were flushed, and her eyeliner was smudged around her puffy eyes.</p><p>“<em>Hija, Dios mío</em>! What happened? Have you been crying?”</p><p>“Yeah…”</p><p>Her grandmother got up and hugged her. She sat Judy down on the sofa. “What happened?”</p><p>“Don’t wanna talk about it, <em>nana</em>.”  </p><p>Her grandmother sighed. She hugged her again.</p><p>A long moment had passed.</p><p>“Go, wash your face. I will make some tea. You will tell me.”</p><p>Judy nodded, and left for the bathroom.</p><p>Her grandmother got up and went into the kitchen to brew some chamomile tea. She poured some water into the kettle, and placed it on the stove.</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, there was a knock on the front door.</p><p>Confused, Mama Alvarez shuffled back into the living room. She answered the door.</p><p>The sheriff was stood outside, with his hands on his belt. “Mama Alvarez,” he tipped his hat. “Really sorry to bother you this late.”</p><p>She gave him the evil eye.</p><p>“Must speak with your granddaughter. Please, can she come outside?”</p><p>“She is indisposed,” she answered in a brusque manner.</p><p>“This is really important, ma’am.”</p><p>Judy stepped back into the living room. She looked a bit better – as good as someone who was physically and mentally exhausted could look, anyway.</p><p>“What is it, Cooke?” she asked.</p><p>“Alv… Judy… please, step outside. Need to talk to you.”</p><p>He never called her that before. Something was wrong.</p><p>Judy walked to the front door, placing a hand on her grandmother’s shoulder. “It’s okay <em>nana</em>. Be back in a bit.”</p><p>Mama Alvarez reluctantly nodded, and headed back to the kitchen.</p><p><br/>Judy and the sheriff stepped outside into the front yard.</p><p>“Listen, Alvarez,” he rubbed his moustache as he looked at the ground.</p><p>Something was seriously wrong. She’d never seen him this afraid.</p><p>“As the sheriff of this town, I gotta think about the safety of everyone in it,” he said.</p><p>She folded her arms. “What are you goin’ on about?”</p><p>“Look, I don’t know what shit you’ve gotten yourself into, but-…”</p><p>“Is this about the strawberries?” she interrupted.</p><p>“What?” his brow creased. “No. Listen…” he was about to continue</p><p>But then two blinding headlights suddenly flashed alight from a car parked further away from the house. It was all-black. Judy didn’t notice it before, camouflaged in the darkness. But she could see it now - it was a Chevillon Emperor. Like the one she spotted in Bordervillage.</p><p>The car moved closer, and stopped in front of the house. The engine was left on. Two men got out.</p><p>Cooke glanced at them, then turned back to face Judy. “You need to go with them.”</p><p>“The fuck?” Her heartbeat picked up in tempo.</p><p>Her eyes darted between the sheriff and the two imposing figures as they approached. They looked like serious corpo muscle.</p><p>“Who are they? What do they want?” she asked Cooke.</p><p>“We are from Interpol,” said one of the huscles. “You will come with us.”</p><p>She noted the strange accent. But <em>Interpol </em>- that name sounded familiar.</p><p>“<em>Hija? </em>Her grandmother crept from inside the house, and stood in the doorway.</p><p>“Mama Alvarez, you need to get back inside,” Cooke said, pointing a finger towards the door.</p><p><br/>Judy had to think quickly - what could she possibly do? Her van was likely busted; she couldn’t make a run for it. Even if she could, she wouldn’t abandon her grandparents. She couldn’t fight them, either. They looked like they could easily gun her down twice over by the time she drew her little pistol.</p><p>“Judy, who are these men?” her grandmother asked.</p><p><em>Be brave Jude</em>.</p><p>“<em>Nana</em>, please go inside,” she said to her. There was a slight tremble in her voice.</p><p>Judy turned to look at the men again. “What do you want from me?”</p><p>“We have questions for you. Do not make this difficult.”</p><p>She crossed her arms. “Ask away.”</p><p>“Alvarez, go with them. Don’t make a scene,” said Cooke.</p><p>“But… I’ve done nothin’ wrong!”</p><p>“You are connected to the attack on Orbital Station E-4356,” said one of the huscles.</p><p>A short pause.</p><p>“The Crystal Palace,” said the other one.</p><p>A rush of energy. Dizziness.</p><p>“H-… had nothin’ to do with that.” Judy protested, faintly.</p><p>“You will come with us, <em>now</em>.”</p><p>“<em>Hija, no te vayas!</em>” her grandmother shouted.</p><p>Suddenly, Cooke rushed for the doorway. “Woah, woah, woah old timer!” he exclaimed.</p><p>Judy turned around to see her grandfather appear, holding his old double-barrelled shotgun.</p><p>“You will not take her, <em>cabrones</em>!” he shouted with a hoarse throat.</p><p>Cooke reached the door. He grabbed the shotgun, pointing it upwards.</p><p>“<em>Nono, </em>stop!” Judy yelled.</p><p>“Drop it, Miguel!” shouted Cooke.</p><p>Mama Alvarez started crying.</p><p>One of the huscles grabbed Judy by the arm. She turned around, instinctively trying to twist away.</p><p>“Let go, <em>puto</em>!” she yelled.</p><p>
  <em>BANG!</em>
</p><p>Time froze.</p><p>Short breaths. She felt goosebumps. Her head was pounding.</p><p>She heard Mama Alvarez start screaming. She was sobbing in prayer. “<em>Ay</em> <em>María madre de Dios!</em> <em>¡¿Por qué nos has abandonado?! ¡Líbranos de este mal, Te lo ruego!</em>” she wailed.</p><p>A flurry of emotions hit Judy like a freight train. She spun around.</p><p>A glimmer of hope.</p><p>Nobody seemed hurt. The gun was pointed in the air. Cooke and her grandfather still grappled.</p><p>She tried to make a dash for the doorway and stop the fight. But she couldn’t escape the huscle’s grip.</p><p>“Let go of me!”</p><p>The two huscles seemed unphased by the scene that was unfolding.</p><p>“Comply, or there will be consequences,” the corpo muscle said.</p><p>“Judy!” her grandmother screamed.</p><p>“<em>Hija!</em>” her grandfather shouted as he struggled.</p><p>“Put it down!” Cooke yelled.</p><p>The huscle started dragging her to the SUV.</p><p>“Let go, fuckers!” Judy screamed, flailing against the man’s grip.</p><p>She was jostled by the huscle who grabbed her. The other huscle threw her legs-first inside the back-passenger seat. One of them got in and sat next to her. The other one hopped in the driver’s seat.</p><p>The commotion from outside became muffled once the doors had been shut.</p><p>She could see her grandmother running towards the car, crying. “Judy!” she mouthed.</p><p>Judy saw Cooke knock her grandfather to the ground.</p><p>The car sped off.</p><p>“Motherfuckers!” she yelled. She started punching at the huscle closest to her.</p><p>She felt a sharp blow to her temple.</p><p>Darkness.</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She woke up. She had a splitting headache.</p><p>She instinctively placed her hand where she was struck. She winced in pain. The wound was raw, and she felt the blood had dried.</p><p>Her vision was blurred. She was blinking rapidly.</p><p>She looked to her left, where the corpo muscle was sat. He was looking out the window. She rubbed her eyes to get a better look.</p><p>He noticed her stirring. “Do not try anything,” he warned.</p><p>She looked outside. It was dawn. She recognised the US 199 they were driving down.</p><p>She then looked back at him. His eyes were glowing a bright orange. He was on the holo with someone. He spoke a strange language. But Judy recognised it pretty quickly. He probably felt confident she couldn’t understand him. But Judy knew her tech – she had an auto-translator language pack installed in her cyberdeck for almost every major language in the world.</p><p>“<em>Wir haben das Mädchen. Es gibt keine Probleme zu melden.</em>” (We have the girl. No issues to report)</p><p>He turned around and looked out the window again. “<em>Wir sind auf dem Weg zum angegebenen Ort.” </em>(We are on-route to the specified location.)</p><p>There was a long pause.</p><p>Judy looked out her window as well to make herself inconspicuous. She continued eavesdropping.</p><p>“<em>Verstanden. Wir werden sie ablenken und auf Verstärkung warten.</em>” (Copy that. Will divert and await reinforcements.)</p><p>“<em>Wir werden eine Eingrenzung einrichten.</em>” (We will set up a perimeter.)</p><p>“<em>Verstanden.</em>” (Understood.)</p><p>He got off the holocall and leaned forward to address the driver huscle. “<em>Sie entdecken das Ziel. Sie bestätigen immer noch, ob sie es ist.</em>” (They spotted the target. Still confirming whether it’s her.)</p><p>“<em>Und?</em>” (And?), asked the driver.</p><p>“<em>Sie haben uns gesagt, wir sollen in der verlassenen Stadt auf Unterstützung warten.</em>” (They have told us to wait for backup at the abandoned town.)</p><p>“<em>Also, sie wird für sie kommen.</em>” (So, she will come for her), the driver noted.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Who’s gonna come for me?</em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>It looks like we have a damsel-in-distress situation! I wonder who could swoop in to save her?</p><p> </p><p>Thanks to all members of Lizzie's Discord for listening to my ramblings and offering advice. Special thanks to Kimanoa for helping with the German bits.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Sun</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Important challenges are faced head-on.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>V opened her eyes after yet another sleepless night. Today was the big day.</p><p>She was laid on her side. She looked out the enormous window and decided to listen. Only, she couldn’t hear much of anything. It was a very strange sensation she still hadn’t gotten used to. Back in her old apartment in Megabuilding H10, the hustle and bustle of the City of Dreams became a brown noise for her to some degree. It helped lull her to slumber.</p><p>But here she was now, in the luxury penthouse apartment made of soundproof glass. The silence was deafening.</p><p>She shifted her gaze to the bedside table, where she placed the amulet Misty gave her as an eternal reminder of that cursed night - the one that started it all. She sighed at the memento.</p><p>It was different now that V was in the Major Leagues – just as Jackie had predicted whilst cashing in his chips that very night in the Delamain cab. She became the Queen of the Afterlife, the belle of the Night City ball. The past few months had been the best time of her life. They were also the worst time of her life. Living a life of luxury a street rat like her couldn’t even have fathomed beforehand, she was surrounded by opulence, and was courted by all manner of high-class posers she disliked. Her new position allowed her access to practically unlimited resources as well as a large network of contacts she could tap into. And yet, she was still dying.</p><p>V turned around to face the woman lying next to her.</p><p>Judy Alvarez, the young Mox techie she grew extremely close to, was still in the arms of Morpheus, with green-pink hair still tousled from the night before. V gingerly lifted Judy’s fringe back to fully reveal her face. She stared at her, focusing on her gentle breathing. V thought it was calming, like a mellow zephyr.</p><p>The techie was perhaps the only good thing that remained in her life. Sure, there’s a lot to be said for all the perks and creature comforts V had been benefiting from since skyrocketing to the top. But those weren’t the things that kept her fighting for her life. It was a fight that had been getting more and more desperate, with the chances of winning looking less and less likely.</p><p>Almost immediately after Mikoshi, V had begun putting feelers out to find a solution to her affliction. She refused to believe Alt’s grim prognosis – that it was incurable; she’d been wrong before after all. Some leads were tentatively promising, like the cyberbrain and artificial grey matter from Biotechnica. A few consultations later, it was revealed that the highly-experimental procedure would lead to too many complications. All of the other avenues were dead ends. All, save for one.</p><p>Judy slowly opened her eyes. She smiled as she saw her partner staring at her like a gonk. Her smile was both heart-warming and heart-breaking.</p><p>“Mornin’,” she said tenderly.</p><p>“Mornin’, you,” V replied. She leaned in to give her a kiss.</p><p>“Hmmm…” Judy closed her eyes once more, seemingly unready to make a start on a new day.</p><p>“Gonna hop in the shower,” V announced, with a hint of fatigue in her voice.</p><p>“Mhm. Me too,” Judy replied, still drowsy.</p><p>V got up and sat on the edge of the bed. The motion detector on the radio picked up her movement and promptly turned on. She heard the familiar voice of Stanley Media, aka <em>Stan the Man</em>.  </p><p>
  <em>Hellooooo, Night City! Drag your asses out of your sad sack and turn to face the sky! Today and today only, you might catch a glimpse of the Crystal Palace – that big-ass space station in which you mere mortals will never set foot. </em>
</p><p>V curled her lip on hearing that. The Crystal Palace was the last hope of saving her life.</p><p>Approached by a mysterious man whom she could find no information on, he proposed breaking into the space station for a simple retrieval in exchange for access to the technology that would cure her. He offered no details on what the cure entailed, of course; it was a take-it-or-leave-it sort of deal. But he was confident V was the right person for the job, for she had already pulled off the impossible by assaulting Arasaka Tower.</p><p>She didn’t like the idea, of course. It was vague on detes and several orders of magnitude more difficult. She put off getting back to him whilst exploring her other options. But she eventually ran out of time. Today was the day she would meet her would-be benefactor in person. Today was the day of the heist.</p><p>V picked up the amulet from the nightstand. She looked at the small-calibre bullet that was formerly lodged in her head. Lately, she had been thinking more and more about the question Dexter DeShawn had first posed to her – <em>“Quiet life, or blaze of glory?” </em></p><p>Together with Jackie, she wanted nothing more than to be a Night City legend - to have a drink with her name in the Afterlife after going out in the most spectacular way possible. But now that she’d had a taste of the life of Riley, she absolutely despised it. It was fake, and it was nothing like her. Being a legend was overrated, and going out with a bang was unconscionable. She now had something truly great to live for. How ironic that the Crystal Palace would either be the key to the quiet life she now sought, or the harbinger to the blaze of glory she now dreaded.</p><p>V put Misty's amulet back on. Maybe it would be her lucky charm? She then tossed her lingerie on the floor and walked towards the bathroom.</p><p>Stanley continued his morning broadcast.</p><p>
  <em>Now, they say the Crystal Palace has the most expensive casinos, the most beautiful women and some damn breath-taking views – but that’s what they say about Night City! Heaven on Earth, heaven in orbit – what’s the difference to scop-eating dirt-sniffers like us?</em>
</p><p>He was right, she thought. Except she was pretty sure his man-of-the-people shtick was a load of shit.</p><p>
  <em>One thing, though – better find yourselves a nice, high hill to go Palace-gazing. Yep, sorry you denizens of Night City’s lower reaches – life has screwed you over yet again.</em>
</p><p>There it was. Life has screwed them, but not him. So much for being an Average Joe.</p><p> </p><p>V stepped into the shower cabin. It was generously-sized; covered in genuine Breccia marble, with gold highlights accenting it here and there. Standing underneath the showerhead, she leaned on the wall in front of her as she felt the rivulets of water trickle down her hair, down to her face and the rest of her body.</p><p>The tranquillity of the moment was interrupted by a sudden coughing fit. She instinctively placed a hand to her mouth. She felt a metallic taste as she saw the blood splatter on her hand. Her condition was getting worse.</p><p>Although V was for all intents and purposes still herself, after Mikoshi she became a construct that had been transferred back into her body. Only, the chip containing Johnny Silverhand’s engram that was stuck in her head and had rewired her synapses presented a complication Alt had not foreseen. The chip had since been removed with no repercussions, of course. Yet it had wreaked so much havoc, to the point where her body now considered itself to be Silverhand’s. The engram of herself that was transferred to her brain was being rejected. Her body was dying.</p><p>“Fuck…” she whispered, as she washed the blood off her hand.</p><p>She felt two arms wrap themselves around her waist.</p><p>“What is it?” Judy asked, leaning her head on V’s back.</p><p>“Nothin’…” V said.</p><p>After a long moment, Judy sighed. She unwrapped herself from V, who made some room for her partner under the showerhead. V looked at Judy as she delicately bathed herself.</p><p>The past few weeks have been extremely hard on the doomed merc. She wanted nothing more than to tell Judy everything that happened in Mikoshi.</p><p>
  <em>“Know what I see looking at you? Walking, talking corpses.”</em>
</p><p>The words the techie said back at Lizzie’s Bar still cut deep. Judy had no idea how right she was. But V suspected she knew something was off; it was getting harder to hide the coughing and the blood.</p><p>“Ok… you need me, I’ll be in the kitchen,” Judy said, as she turned to leave.</p><p>V nodded, and then turned around to face the wall once more, deep in rumination. She was wracked with guilt, feeling as though she had selfishly barged into the poor girl’s life - complicit in her suffering, contributing indirectly to the deaths of Evelyn and Tom, to say nothing of the situation with Clouds and Roxanne. And to make matters worse, Judy was very likely to lose her merc too.</p><p>V was terrified for her. A little while after Mikoshi, on seeing there was no easy way out of her predicament, she felt there was only one thing she could do to protect Judy.  </p><p>The hardened merc was a street kid - no stranger to hardships. She'd navigated her way through countless fights, gigs, and other hairy situations. Not to mention the Relic, which would’ve easily broken a lesser woman. Yet these past few weeks she’d had to do the hardest thing she’d ever done in her life - she had to push Judy away to spare her the pain of what was almost certainly to come.</p><p>V got out of the shower and headed back to the bedroom to get dressed.</p><p>She always had a fondness for the Kitsch style of clothing, so she took an immediate liking to the top-drawer Neo-Kitsch. Perhaps it was due to her rebellious nature – appropriating the fashion of the ultra-rich for a lowly gutter rat such as herself seemed compelling. She put on a stylish yet functional grey tank top, mulberry silk tiger print leggings, and a pair of white gold-tipped ankle boots.</p><p>Stan the Man made his exit on the radio.</p><p>
  <em>… for all you sitting in the gutter, looking up at the smog, here’s someone you ain’t heard in a while – Johnny Silverhand! Here’s to you, you ol’ bastard. Wherever you are.</em>
</p><p>In a better place, V hoped. He could’ve decided to keep V’s body, back in Mikoshi, as he was in the driver’s seat at the time. But he didn’t. He was many things, Johnny Silverhand – the Visionary; the Terrorist; the Asshole. But in the end, he became her best choom. To V, he was Johnny Silverhand - the Guy Who Saved Her Life.</p><p><em>Black Dog</em>, the last song Samurai recorded, started playing on the radio.</p><p>V headed downstairs into the penthouse proper.</p><p>The bedroom was situated on a mezzanine overlooking the rest of the penthouse, with an L-shaped staircase connecting the two levels. Downstairs, the sparsely-decorated lounge was slightly recessed into the ground and covered in real walnut parquet flooring. The rest of the open-plan living space of the penthouse was floored in granite, and was similarly minimalist in its décor. Various organic palms and ferns were tucked away in nooks and alcoves. A recurring theme of golden trims, accents and highlights present in both the furniture and the architecture was indicative of the Neo-Kitsch aesthetic.</p><p>Judy was stood in the kitchen, which was of a similar mix of granite, walnut and gold trimming. She seemed to be having yet another argument with the ornate coffee machine. Despite being tech-savvy, she still hadn’t managed to get to grips with the recherché apparatus. Some aspects of high society were still quite alien to both her and V.</p><p>Judy gave up and turned around. She leaned on the countertop and folded her arms. “Alright, V. What’s wrong? Feelin’ worse?” she asked with a concerned look that was quite common as of late.</p><p>“Just tired, is all,” the merc replied.</p><p>“Been like this a while, V. I feel like… like you’re not telling me something.”</p><p>V shook her head.</p><p>“Did… did somethin’ happen inside Mikoshi? Somethin’ you didn’t tell me about?”</p><p>Lying to her didn’t get any easier. But today was the last day, one way or another.</p><p><em>Black Dog</em> continued playing on the radio.</p><p>
  <em>“Tonight is the night that we run,<br/>The hunter becomes what he hunts,<br/>The escape and the chase become one,<br/>Run! Run!”</em>
</p><p>V pressed her lips into a thin line. “I’m not hiding anything, Judy.”</p><p>“Just got this feeling you’re cuttin’ me outta your life, outta us… I mean, is it the job?”</p><p>“Rather not talk about it. Not now.”</p><p>Judy was getting more agitated. “So, when? I worry about you. About us.”</p><p>“No reason to.”</p><p>“Know what? For weeks, now, I’ve wanted to… to just…” Judy bit her lip.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Run away. Far as I can," she blurted. "From this fucking wall you’ve put up between us. And you…”</p><p>V felt her words cut deep.</p><p>Judy got up and walked towards the balcony. “Anyway. I’ll be outside. Maybe I’ll catch a glimpse of the Crystal Palace…”</p><p>V gazed at her longingly as she walked away. The merc felt like she’d just been stabbed in the heart a thousand times. But at least her plan was working.</p><p>The tune kept playing on the radio.</p><p>
  <em>“A bloody moon, portending doom,<br/>Another cruel day is coming soon,<br/><em>Have to end this but it's just begun,<br/><em>A ﬁnal charge, with the rising sun.</em></em></em>
</p><p>
  <em>Black dog in my head,<br/><em>Guiding me to the end.”</em></em>
</p><p>Was the song a good or a bad omen? She couldn’t decide.</p><p>Biting her lip, V walked towards the armoury located opposite the kitchen and across the entryway into the penthouse itself. It wasn’t as large as she would’ve liked, being barely bigger than the one in her old apartment back in the megabuilding. Then again, it used to be a modest wine room which she’d converted.</p><p>Her usual assortment of pistols, submachineguns, assault rifles, and shotguns were clipped onto the wall to her right. In front of her, a special mounting was reserved for the shotgun Judy had gifted her a while back. Aptly named <em>Mox</em>, owing to its gang-related motifs decorated on it, it was originally given to Judy by Rita, the bouncer from Lizzie’s Bar. The young techie didn’t find much use for it, so she thought it would be appropriate to gift it to V, who couldn’t go a day without getting into a scrap.</p><p>V sat down at her workbench and opened up her laptop. She had one last order of business to conclude. She noticed she’d received a message through the Net from Emmerick, the bouncer from Afterlife. As his new boss, she had instructed him to acquire the fuel for the rocket she needed to leave Earth's orbit.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em><strong> Subject: </strong> Little gig<br/><strong>From</strong>: Emmerick<br/><strong>To</strong>: V</em>
</p><p>
  <em>V, pulled every last string we had, but I think it worked. Got the fuel. Grabbed an Orbital Air tanker, wiped it from the records. They’ll notice eventually, but should be too late by then. So don’t worry about the transport. Em</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Some good news, at least. Though that wasn’t the reason she was there. She drafted a message addressed to her lawyer at Merill, Asukaga, &amp; Finch. She attached a file to it - V’s last will and testament. It instructed that all the funds located in her account at the First Bank of Night City were to be transferred to one Judy Alvarez on her passing.</p><p>She sent the message and closed the laptop. She headed outside towards the terrace.</p><p>The spacious patio faced the right-hand side of the yard, which stretched across the entire area of the condominium’s top floor, as hers was the executive penthouse. The terrace overlooked a long swimming pool flanked by a large patch of organic grass on one side, and the edge of the floor on the other side, where a couple of chaise lounges were placed.</p><p>Judy was leaning on the glass balustrade, gazing up at the Crystal Palace which shone like a bright star in the sky. V leaned next to her. “You know, guess you could mistake it for Venus…” she mused. After a prolonged hush, she let out a sigh. “V… I think I messed up.”</p><p>A lump formed in the merc’s throat. “We’re not talking about the Crystal Palace anymore, are we?”</p><p>“It’s weird as hell, but I think I might’ve just realized… I never felt right here.” Judy paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. “Used to think I actually liked being one atom among many. Anonymous. And safe.”</p><p>“But it was an illusion,” V said.</p><p>Judy slowly nodded. “I look at this city and feel…” She paused. She was looking for the right word.</p><p>“What?” V asked, though she knew what was coming.</p><p>Judy turned to face V, though her eyes were downcast. “I feel alone…?” she finally said, with a quiver in her voice.  </p><p>Weeks of intentionally giving Judy the cold shoulder and keeping her in the dark have had an effect. The plan seemed to have worked.</p><p>V’s muscles tensed. <em>“But you’ve got me…” </em>she wanted to say. It was nerve-wracking. V could only manage a nod.</p><p>“Y’know, I used to keep time in phases. From one juncture to another,” Judy continued. “The megabuilding hole-in-the-wall-phase, then the group home, the gang, the Mox phase… Each and every time, I thought I’d found a home. And each and every time, I came away disappointed.”</p><p>V knew of this. She knew of Judy’s troubled past and her current troubles with her gang. V had hoped their relationship was the beginning of something beautiful, something new. The final juncture in their lives. But in this world, fate was a fickle mistress. Such happy endings would not come by that easily.</p><p>“What would you call this phase?” V asked.</p><p>“What I wanted to talk to you about, actually.” Judy took a deep breath, then exhaled. “Listen, V. I… Gotta get outta here. Ditch Night City. Find somethin’ better, somethin’ more solid. You understand?”</p><p>The beating V endured while boxing all the champions in Night City paled in comparison to this gut-punch. She wanted to yell, to plead. <em>I don’t want you to disappear. Not now. I need you. </em></p><p>V took a moment to steel herself and formulate a response. “Good idea. Oughta leave – fast as you can. Got nothing good that awaits you here. Especially since I’ll soon…” she promptly caught herself, she didn't want to say it. “I understand, I really do,” she finished.</p><p>It would seem she was successful in this mission, at the very least.</p><p>“What about you?” Judy asked.</p><p>“Me? Still got some biz to take care of here,” she shrugged.</p><p>“Oh, so it is biz? This that… thing at the Afterlife? The job.”</p><p>
  <em>Fuck… If only you knew… </em>
</p><p>V wrinkled her brow and tilted her head down. “Last chance I got to leave a mark on Night City. Need to take it.”</p><p>“So, Afterlife’s not enough, hm? Just don’t know how to quit,” Judy said, shaking her head.</p><p>Judy’s words weighed heavily on her shoulders.</p><p>“Not anymore, no,” V said. She clenched her jaw.</p><p>“Mh. Whatever you’re plannin’ now… there any way I can help?”</p><p>V could be nerveless and cool-headed in the most difficult situations. She did not weep even when Jackie died. But Judy was the chink in her armour, her Achilles heel. In that moment, maintaining her composure was a herculean task. <em>Yes! Stay with me! Wait for me! </em>she wanted to beg.</p><p>“No... It’s something I gotta do on my own,” V breathed with a crack in her voice.</p><p>The air was getting heavy. Her breaths were getting shorter, and more strained. “And it’s gotta happen now. While I still have time. While I still have something to do,” she continued.</p><p>Judy sighed. “You’ll always have something to do. There’ll always be the next thing, next challenge. ‘Till the bitter end.”</p><p>
  <em>If it works, it’s going to be the last. <br/></em>
</p><p>V nodded. “If it works, you’re gonna hear about me. Wherever you end up.”</p><p>A sorrowful smile formed on Judy's lips. “Mhm. V’s postcards from the edge. Heh. I like the idea. Be waitin’ for ‘em.” </p><p>
  <em>I’ll bring ‘em to you myself.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>A Rayfield Excalibur aerial vehicle came into view as it whizzed across the top of the condominium and began descending down on to the landing pad in the front yard. It was one of the cutting-edge models from Delamain’s brand new aerial fleet. It was right on time.</p><p>“Better get goin’,” V sighed. She needed to leave quickly, before Judy got a chance to notice the emotions bubbling up inside her.</p><p>The techie nodded, and they embraced each other for a long moment. V had to summon the entire willpower she had left to let go.</p><p>Judy's eyes were laden with sorrow. “Take care of yourself, V. An’ come back in one piece.” </p><p>V forced herself to conjure a smile, though it was a doleful one. Tonight, it was do or die. “You take care too. Stay as long as you want,” she said.</p><p>The merc spun around and headed back inside the penthouse, towards the exit facing the front yard. She made her way down the stairs and crossed the yard to reach the landing pad.</p><p>“Hello. Thank you for choosing the Delamain service,” said a synthesised male voice coming from the vehicle. The vertical-sliding doors automatically opened.</p><p>V got inside the luxury AV’s passenger cabin and wiped the tears from her eyes.  </p><p>Panache radiated from the inside. Four genuine leather seats were placed in pairs on opposite ends of the cabin facing each other, with the trademark Delamain “D” logo emblazoned on the headrests. Lacquered mahogany trim decked the side of the walls, ascending upwards to the ceiling too. A holoprojector lay in the middle of the cabin, for all those important corpo meetings, with a small drinks cabinet placed opposite the entrance.</p><p>“Where shall we fly today?” asked Delamain.</p><p>V and the unshackled AI, Delamain, went as far back as the heist at Konpeki Plaza. A little while after that, some sort of virus of unknown origin penetrated his systems, causing a cascading failure which prompted the AI to ask for V’s help. At the time, the merc saw no obvious solution but to reboot Delamain’s reactor, which reset his personality and wiped all of his memories. He'd been getting reacquainted with V of late however, as she’d had to call on his services frequently with all the Afterlife biz she’d had to take care of.</p><p>“The Afterlife, head over there,” V replied, planting herself on one of the chairs. The leather upholstery creaked as she got into a comfortable position.</p><p>“As you wish,” Delamain replied. The doors slid shut on their own.</p><p>V suddenly received a message through the holo. She opened it up through the operating system in her cyberdeck. It was also from Emmerick.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Emmerick Bronson </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Hey, boss.]<br/>[Client of yours gave word. He’s on his way.]<br/>[What do I do with him?]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Heart skipping a beat, she replied immediately.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>V</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Tell him to hang tight. Be there shortly.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>His response was just as prompt.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Emmerick Bronson </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[You got it.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>The hum of the thrusters grew louder as the AV lifted itself up from the landing pad. V looked out the window and saw Judy staring up at her, still leaning on the balcony. She placed a palm on the window of the AV. Determination was mounting within her.</p><p>
  <em>I’ll find my way back to you, if it’s the last thing I do.</em>
</p><p>Once Judy and the whole condominium was out of view, V slumped back in the chair and leaned against the headrest.</p><p>“We will be travelling along restricted air corridors. I’ve chosen the optimal route. No delays anticipated," Delamain announced.</p><p>“Preem.” </p><p>“If I may deign,” the AI continued, “You look frightfully fatigued. Was it a difficult night?”</p><p>“Difficult few weeks,” she replied.</p><p>“I’m truly sorry to hear that,” he said, in his characteristic neutral tone. “The Delamain network is pleased to offer complementary services that may just be the ideal remedy for your current condition.”</p><p>V hadn’t confided her dilemma to him. There was nothing he could do for her, his sales pitch notwithstanding.</p><p>“What’s more, I’m delighted to inform you that Delamain has joined forces with Trauma Team. With our limited-time only ‘Safe Travels’ package, you have a full range of medical services available to you at your fingertips.”</p><p>V huffed out a sad chuckle. “A day late and an eddy short for that.”</p><p>“I’m afraid I don’t understand. You’ve practically unlimited resources at your disposal. I’m certain we can find an appropriate solution.”</p><p>“Don’t worry about it, Del,” she sighed.</p><p>“As you wish.”</p><p>V turned to look outside the window. They were headed downtown. The giant animated billboards and illuminated advertisements covering every skyscraper and megabuilding were coming closer into view: Softsys Megacorp; AT-AK ballistic weave; the Below Deck nightclub; Kiroshi Optics; Decker, Tanaka &amp; Rogers Shipping; Saeko’s Fashion Company; the Riot nightclub; and countless other displays and logos.</p><p>“What’s goin’ on with Arasaka? And how’s the sich in the city?” V asked.</p><p>“Here’s an item that might interest you – the Arasaka crisis continues. Aggregated media mentions indicate a positively mammoth stain on the corporation’s image, as well as financial and political defeat.”</p><p>Through her, Johnny definitely hit them where it hurt.</p><p>“’Secure Your Soul’ was to be a smashing success for Arasaka,” Delamain continued. “It turned into a horrific curse. They lost all resources related to the program.”</p><p>“Mhm,” V agreed. “Promised the rich immortality, sold them on it. Actually collected engrams and knowledge. A bid for control, for power, I say.”</p><p>“Precisely,” Delamain agreed. “In any event, it will be some time before Arasaka successfully reorganises. It seems you, the Afterlife, are safe… for now.”</p><p>If she was safe now, she will definitely become a target after this. She was about to hit them again.</p><p>She was lost in thought once more.</p><p> </p><p>Delamain broke the silence after a short time. “We’ll be arriving shortly. Please sit back, relax and enjoy the stunning views of our fine city.”</p><p>“Hm, might be the last time I get a look at this place,” V said.</p><p>“Do you plan to leave Night City?” he asked.</p><p>“One way or another.”</p><p>“In that case, I wish you a swift return home.”</p><p>
  <em>Here’s hopin’…</em>
</p><p>“This city, as certain of my clients note, is ‘a true West Coast gem,’” he continued.</p><p>“Uh-huh.” Her tone betrayed an echo of disgust.</p><p>“They also call it ‘a metropolis of near-paralysing beauty.’”</p><p>“Don’t doubt it…” V said with a hint of sarcasm. She then closed her eyes as she meditated on what was to come.</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>V felt the AV slow down after a while. The purr from the thrusters became subdued. She opened her eyes.</p><p>The AV came to a stop at the edge of the narrow, run-down rooftop of the building the Afterlife was located in. The vehicle was still hovering in the air.</p><p>“We have arrived at your destination,” the AI announced. “Thank you for choosing the Delamain service. Have a nice day.”</p><p>The vertical doors opened. The bottom one acted as a treadboard, which V stepped on to help her debark.</p><p>“Later, Del,” she said, as she got out.</p><p>The doors slid shut once more, and the AV flew off.</p><p>V headed for the elevator, which she called up. Once it arrived, she stepped inside and pressed the touchscreen button marked <em>-02: The Afterlife</em>.</p><p>An ad started playing on the two television screens inside the elevator.</p><p>
  <em>Hey, you there! Yes, I’m talking to you!</em>
</p><p>V's gaze darted to face the screens. She recognised Ziggy Q, the famous talk show host. He was stood in a ramshackle apartment.</p><p>
  <em>Are you getting what you want out life? Let me guess… Food from a tube? Rusty water from the tap? Another murder outside your bedroom window? </em>
  <em>But what if… you could leave all that behind? Far, far behind… when you begin your journey to the final frontier!</em>
</p><p>The apartment split in two to reveal stars against the blackness of space. Ziggy was floating, with a familiar sight behind him.</p><p>
  <em>Send the word SPACE to 7299 for a change to win a one-week getaway for two at THE Crystal Palace! </em>
  <em>Ten casinos! Five pools! Top-end braindance equipment! And the best chefs in the universe! </em>
  <em>If you’re looking for a taste of paradise, don’t wait a microsecond longer! Send SPACE to 7299 right now! </em>
  <em>The Crystal Palace – feel alive in the dead of space!</em>
</p><p>With a <em>ding </em>the elevator reached the basement wherein the Afterlife was located.</p><p>She stepped outside the elevator and turned right to head into the club. Emmerick, the club’s bouncer, was stood next to the entrance.</p><p>He bowed his head when he saw her. “Boss,” said the burly huscle.</p><p>It wasn’t that long ago that Emmerick called both her and Jackie clowns when they first showed up at the club. She didn’t hold that against him – plenty of hopeful mercs fail every day to prove their worth in the Afterlife.</p><p>V gave him a curt nord. “Hey. We good?”</p><p>“Yup, perfect. Your box is ready an’ waitin’.”</p><p>“Thanks.”</p><p>She then stepped inside the club. The same old cyan-and-lime fluorescent lighting greeted her.</p><p>As it was still morning, The Afterlife was relatively empty. A couple of mercs were sat on stools at the bar, idly chatting away. Most booths and tables were vacant, though some of them had a couple of occupants likely discussing the detes of upcoming gigs over a few drinks</p><p>She headed for her private booth at the far end of the club - the one which Rogue liked to do biz in. V would always be grateful to the establishment’s previous owner for helping Johnny save her life.</p><p>The merc spotted a man that was sat down inside the booth, with one leg crossed over the other and an arm stretched across the top of the banquette.</p><p>He in turn noticed her approach. He straightened himself.</p><p>“V. I’ve long awaited this moment. To look the latest Afterlife legend in the eye – I must say, I’m moved,” he said.</p><p>His voice was crisp and his tone betrayed no emotion. He spoke with a cadence that indicated the man weighed each word very, very carefully before uttering it.</p><p>He was well-groomed, as any corpo-rat would be. His clean-shaven face displayed an outline of stubble, and his raven-black side-parted haircut was smoothly gelled. He wore a dark grey carbon-fibreweave corpo suit. But his eponymous trait was what stood out the most – his bright cerulean blue eyes.</p><p>They were unlike the blue a person’s eyes would temporarily change to if they performed a short-wave money transfer, for example. The man’s irises were permanently coloured, while his pupils shone a bright white.</p><p>Mr. Blue Eyes, as he referred to himself, was a mysterious, untraceable individual. Not a single fixer or any of her other contacts could find any information on him. She even asked Viktor Vector, her trusty ripperdoc who still had a few high-up connections to look into him.</p><p><em>“Nobody knows a damn thing,” </em>Vik had said a while back. “<em>Meaning one of two things… or maybe both. The guy’s swimmin’ with great whites waaaay above our info circle, high up enough that nobody can even give us the known unknowns… Or, he’s shady as hell, given this city doesn’t abide the nameless. Either way, make sure you know what you’re doing, V.” </em></p><p>And he was right. V had only spoken with Blue Eyes over the holo thus far, and even that was unnerving. Seeing him in-person put her off-kilter even more.</p><p>The merc sat down on the banquette. “Happy not to disappoint,” she said to the mysterious man.</p><p>He smiled. It was cold, and emotionless. “Well, V… Mikoshi was quite the punch, you TKO’d Arasaka, in fact. Brought you eddies, influence around town. But not just that…” He crossed his leg once more. “It meant positive paralysis of Arasaka systems. A few additional hatches opened up, my people rushed in, grabbed what they could.”</p><p>V did not know who he worked for, and an uncharacteristic part of her was too afraid to ask. “So it’s all systems go for the op,” she noted.</p><p>He nodded. “I have confirmed the intel leaking out of Arasaka. The casino is currently testing a new security system... And it’s true – they will be shutting it down briefly today. I believe you’ll know how to use that moment.”</p><p>“Having second thoughts?” V asked. “Hope that doesn’t mean you wanna drop out.” Her slightly agitated tone betrayed her thoughts. She was desperate for this forlorn hope at a cure.</p><p>“Drop out? At this stage? No, it would make no sense, I’d take a hit,” he said calmly. “Speaking of which – nobody’s ever pulled off a stunt like this. Where I’m from, they’d say it’s straight impossible.” He tilted his head slightly, giving her a curious look. “They’d say you’re taking too big a risk. Poetically speaking, flying towards the sun to burn up.”</p><p>V furrowed her brow. “They’d be dead wrong, all of ‘em,” she said. She desperately wanted to believe that</p><p>The same cold, calculating smile never left his lips. “Self-confidence worthy of a legend. Or of someone risking it all.” His tone shifted. He spoke with a certain gravitas. “I sense you know what it’s like to lose everything. To fight for one last breath. I see it in you.”</p><p>V shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “This time tomorrow, you should have the casino’s client data, all of it.” She then gave him a steely stare and dropped her tone in equal seriousness. “And don’t forget your side of the bargain.”</p><p>“Oh, I never forget a promise,” Blue Eyes said as he stood up, turning to leave. He stopped himself just as he was about to exit the booth. He looked behind his shoulder. “Good luck,” he called out before departing.</p><p> </p><p>V picked up the pack of smokes on the table in front of her and pulled one out. She lit it and took a long drag. She’d inherited the vice from Johnny, and it had remained with her even after his departure.</p><p>She got on the holo to Emmerick.</p><p>“Let's give the plan a once-over one final time. Get Weyland and Nix in here,” she commanded.</p><p>“On it,” he replied.</p><p>A few minutes passed before the braggadocious Crispin “Squama” Weyland swaggered into the booth, loudly plopping himself down on the banquette.</p><p>Squama had always wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, the legendary solo Andrew “Boa Boa.” The assault on Arasaka Tower together with Johnny (in V’s body) and Rogue had cemented his legacy, especially as the one who helped take down Adam Smasher.</p><p>The broad-shouldered Jamaican solo was wounded during the break-in, however, and took a few weeks to recuperate.</p><p>V noticed he had gotten rid of the odd khaki green neck gaiter he used to wear.</p><p>“Ey, bosslady,” he said.</p><p>“How’s the arm, Squama?”</p><p>“Not too bad, mon. Still hurts like a bloodclaat sometimes,” he said, as he rubbed his tattooed right arm.</p><p>Nix, the Afterlife’s resident netrunner walked in with a smoke in hand. He was wearing his usual circular shades, with his orange netrunning suit tucked under a pair of urban camo cargo pants and a studded gilet.</p><p>“Yo, V,” the netrunner said.</p><p>V nodded at him as he took a seat next to Weyland.</p><p>Emmerick walked in next and sat down on the far edge of the table inside the booth.</p><p>V eyed each of them. “Alright, we’re all here then. Whaddya got for me?”</p><p>Nix reached into a pocket in his vest, promptly plucking out a datashard and handing it over to her. “Here’s the detes,” he said.</p><p>V took the shard and slotted it into her head. A panoramic X-ray blueprint of the Orbital Air Space Center popped up in her line of sight through her optics. The spaceport was located on a small island west of Night City.</p><p>“First stop, the spaceport. Private Terminal 5.” said Nix.</p><p>V quirked an eyebrow. "Got the rocket?”</p><p>“Yup, reached out to that contact I mentioned. The old dawg came through, big time,” said the netrunner.</p><p>The blueprint display panned closer to Terminal 5, zooming in on an orbital flight rocket.</p><p>“Secured us a state-of-the-art HMLPV-17A surface-to-orbit autonomous rocket, with a private 1-man pod capsule,” continued Nix.</p><p>“Fuck-a-muffin, mon! How’d you get that?” exclaimed Weyland.</p><p>“I don’t mess around,” said the netrunner, pulling on his smoke.</p><p>And that was no jest. He used to be pretty high up in the corpo world before burning bridges.</p><p>“Dunno if you saw my message, boss,” said Emmerick, “But I got the fuel for the rocket.”</p><p>“Yeah, so you did. Good job,” said V.</p><p>“The fuel tanker was scheduled to resupply the spaceport tomorrow. It’ll be a while before Orbital Air figure out where it’s gone,” nodded Emmerick.</p><p>“Alright, what about security inside the spaceport?” asked V.</p><p>The display panned back to the inside of Terminal 5.</p><p>“Took their ICE down and got the daemons planted in their ID and recognition systems. I’ll activate them once you arrive at the terminal. You’ll be invisible. Your alias will be Corinne Tilly when you check in at security.” said Nix.</p><p>“Corinne… Tilly…? Really?”</p><p>Nix shrugged. “An oneiromancer from this book I read. Sounded like a cool name.”</p><p>V shook her head and flicked the ash from her smoke. “Alright. Next step?”</p><p>The display then panned outward to show the Earth, the Crystal Palace, and the moon. An orbital transfer course was plotted in a diagram, which showed the trajectory needed to reach the Crystal Palace.</p><p>“First stage – orbital insertion,” continued Nix. “Rocket burns its fuel to get you into low Earth orbit at the transfer point Weyland arranged us.”</p><p>Since rockets launched from Earth burned up so much fuel to breach the atmosphere, they were only able to reach transfer stations located in low orbit. Shuttles called Orbital Transfer Vehicles were taken from the transfer stations to reach the bigger space complexes in higher orbit, as well as the various lunar bases belonging to different corporations.</p><p>The HUD zoomed in to a micro-station, a workshack - a tiny research or manufacturing station with no more than a dozen modules. This one looked antiquated.</p><p>“Ya, mon, though it’s not a transfer station – security would be too tight, an’ we don’t have anyone who can handle that here,” Weyland chuckled. “‘tis actually an old Replitech workshack the corp abandoned a few years ago. Apparently too expensive to decommission,” he shrugged.</p><p>It was an all-too-common occurrence. The Earth’s Kessler syndrome was getting worse as the space debris stuck in low orbit made it harder to launch into space. Collisions became ever more frequent.</p><p>“Won’t the workshack’s integrity be compromised?” asked V.</p><p>Weyland shrugged. “Probably. You’ll be keepin’ your spacesuit on, bosslady.”</p><p>“Stage two,” Emmerick chimed in, “Your blue-eyed friend parked a transfer shuttle he klepped from under Arasaka’s noses.”</p><p>“Huh. Wonder where he ferreted that out of...” V mused.</p><p>“Beats me,” Emmerick folded his arms. “Anyway, it’s at the opposite end of the workshack from where you’ll be docking with the rocket.”</p><p>“What shuttle is it?” V asked.</p><p>The display zoomed in on the small spacecraft docked at the workshack. It could hold two passengers at most, as well as a small amount of cargo.</p><p>“An Arasaka 494 PX, so a pretty fast one. Got one of the best autopilots too,” the bouncer replied.</p><p>“That’s pretty nova," said the merc. </p><p>“Stage three – slow burn to the Crystal Palace,” said Weyland. “Shuttle will get you there in six hours.”</p><p>V nodded, taking a drag of her smoke. “Not bad. Stage four?”</p><p>The map panned over to the Crystal Palace.</p><p>“Blue Eyes comes in,” replied Emmerick. “You stop a couple of klicks away from the station. He takes down the satellite arrays and cloaks your shuttle’s signature. You get out and make for the station using your spacesuit’s thrusters. You won’t show up as a blip on their scanners, as you’ll be small enough to be considered random space junk.”</p><p>The display then zoomed in on the space station. An arrow pointed the entryway to V’s target.</p><p>“Your target’s the station’s lowest ring,” said Nix. “Arasaka’s casino occupies a sizeable chunk of it. Your assault on their Night City headquarters spooked the rat fucks, so they’ve been upgrading their security across all their holdings. Their systems will be down in the Crystal Palace for a bit, too.”</p><p>“How long will I have?” asked V.</p><p>“Security codes change every hour, so you gotta be fast. Blue Eyes will send ‘em to you.”</p><p>The visor displayed a blueprint of the ring. It highlighted the path V needed to take.</p><p>“Make your way through the lower level,” Nix continued. “It’s where all the admin is located, as well as a vault with the detes you’ll klep.”</p><p>“What will I be facin’?” V asked.</p><p>“Low-level surveillance and light security, according to the client’s info,” said Nix.</p><p>V frowned. She was not a netrunner - she was a solo. Though she did have some basic daemons that would temporarily disable the security cameras.</p><p>“Can you get eyes inside?” asked V.</p><p>Nix shook his head. “Localnet traffic there is completely severed from the systems on Earth. No way for me to get in. Best I can do is stay on comms and see what you see. Extra pair of eyes should help.”</p><p>V ran a hand through her hair and sighed.</p><p>“Blue Eyes stashed a low-calibre gun inside the shuttle. Don’t forget – they don’t use guns up there, they’re not allowed. Use it as a last resort. Think you can guess why bullet holes in a space station is a bad thing,” said Emmerick as he let out a chuckle.</p><p>“Be all sneaky-peeky like, mon,” said Weyland. “Open the safe with the code, get out of there quick, and get back to the shuttle. Easy, ya?”</p><p>“Shuttle has enough fuel to take you back down to Earth. Course has already been punched in,” Nix said.</p><p>The images instantly faded out as the brief finished.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s it,” Emmerick concluded. “Final thoughts?"</p><p>V put out her cig. “Plan’s got more holes than a Jig-Jig Street whorehouse,” V said.</p><p>Weyland laughed. Emmerick and Nix weren’t amused.</p><p>“Dunno what I’ll be up against once inside,” she frowned.</p><p>“That’s why no-one’s attempted somethin’ like this before,” said Nix. “But if Blue Eyes is to be believed, now’s the best time to try.”</p><p>V nodded. “It’ll have to do.”</p><p>Emmerick got up. “Well, alright then. Good luck out there, boss. Go make us some money.”</p><p>Nix got up too. “I’ll hop in the chair, be on the holo,” he said.</p><p>“Alright,” she replied.</p><p>“Ya know, bosslady, what you plan to do today… I mean, respect. Nothin’ else will ever come close,” Weyland said.</p><p>“Yeah. We’ll see how it goes,” V sighed. “You wanna gimme a ride to the spaceport?”</p><p>Weyland threw his arms up in the air. “Why’s I always gotta be the bumboclattin’ driver, mon?” he laughed. “No worries, bosslady. I go be warmin’ the car up.”</p><p>He got up and left.</p><p>V smiled and shook her head. She stood up and stretched her arms before stepping out of the booth. She spotted The Afterlife's bartender Claire giving a glass a good wipe. V walked towards the bar.</p><p>“Hey V,” Claire called out. “Get you somethin’?”</p><p>“Yeah. My usual,” V said, taking a seat on a stool.</p><p>“Sure thing... Y’know, people can tell something’s up. Won’t be able to keep it under wraps much longer.”</p><p>“Won’t have to. Take-off’s today,” V replied.</p><p>“Today…?” Claire looked surprised.</p><p>“Is that a problem?” V asked.</p><p>“No, no. Just… in that case, you’re gonna need somethin’ special,” Claire said, grinning. “Rogue had this little ritual... Before any big op, she’d knock back a shot of tequila. Silverhand’s preferred. Asked her once if it was for luck or whatever. Know what she said?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Said it was about rememberin’. Said that rememberin’ Johnny that way helped her focus on what was important.”</p><p>V nodded, considering her words.</p><p>“Anyways, Afterlife tradition – gonna mix you up one of our specials. Just tell me who we’re drinkin’ to."</p><p>V thought about it, but it didn’t take long to make up her mind.</p><p>“Mix me up a Silverhand. Drinkin’ to Johnny.”</p><p>Claire nodded, and got to work. “I mean, I only know what people say about ‘im, but… bet he’d loooove what you’re plannin’. Shit, he’d be over the damn moon.”</p><p>Claire grabbed a fresh glass and Johnny’s special bottle of Centzon Tōtōchtin tequila that on display on a shelf behind the bar. She then poured the drink for the merc.</p><p>V smiled. “I know." She knocked back the hard stuff in a single gulp.</p><p>“Y’know, V, you never gave me your recipe. For your drink, I mean,” Claire said.</p><p>“Don’t want one."</p><p>“Not lookin’ to walk down the Path of Glory?” the bartender asked.</p><p>“Fuck glory. I want to live.”</p><p>The bartender chuckled. “Alright then. Good luck, V.”</p><p>“Thanks.”</p><p>She got off the stool and took one last look at the club before heading back out the way she came - towards the parking lot where Weyland was waiting for her.</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>They crossed the bridge that led to the Orbital Air Space Centre, west of downtown Night City.</p><p>The spaceport wasn’t particularly busy, though V could see the odd corpo and bourgie get in and out of their Rayfield Aerondights or Caliburns in front of Private Terminal 5 as valets either brought their cars to them, or took them away for parking. Weyland’s Mizutani Shion was out of place amidst all the luxury hypercars.</p><p>He stopped at one of the drop-off points.</p><p>“Alright, V, go get ‘em, mon,” said Weyland. “Mind if I stay on the holo though? Wanna see space from your eyes.”</p><p>V let out an amused huff. “Sure, why the hell not?”</p><p>He gave her a toothy grin. “Good luck then, bosslady.”</p><p>After getting out of the car and shutting the door, she made for the entrance as Weyland sped off back across the bridge.</p><p>“Alright, V,” said Nix through the holo. “Daemons have been uploaded. Security cams won’t recognise you.”</p><p>“Good.”</p><p>The inside of Terminal 5 was relatively small, as it only had a half-dozen gates that led to the various rocket launchpads. It was a circular, two-storey building, with three gates on the ground floor and three on the top floor. Giant diamond-coloured mosaic tiles covered the floor, with red carpets placed at the entrances to each gate. A massive sparkling crystal chandelier hung from the middle of the ceiling, with a marble fountain in the shape of the Orbital Air logo placed right underneath it.</p><p>V headed for gate C, which was the rightmost one on the ground floor. She stopped at the check-in security point.</p><p>A steward was stood behind a counter, smiling at the approaching figure. “Good morning madam,” he said. “Please insert your personal link to proceed.” He gestured towards the port.</p><p>Only high-class socialites and corpo-rats would be permitted to enter. V looked the part, so she decided to play the part, too.</p><p>She rolled her eyes for dramatic effect, and folded her arms. “Really gotta waste my time?” she said whilst tapping her foot.</p><p>The steward frowned. “This will only take a moment. Please.”</p><p>V let out an exaggerated sigh. She took out the personal link from her wrist, and plugged it in.</p><p>The steward turned to a monitor beside him. "Corinne Tilly,” he asked?</p><p>She didn’t answer, opting instead to glower at him.</p><p>“What is the nature of your trip?” he asked.</p><p>“None of your biz,” she snapped. Her tone was marble-hearted.</p><p>The steward shot her a curious look. “It says here you’re travelling to… an abandoned workshack?” His brow arched in surprise.</p><p>“Uh-uh,” she said.</p><p>“To what end?”</p><p>V rolled her eyes. “Ugh, like I said - none of your biz. But if you must know... retrievin' a memento." She casually inspected her nails.</p><p>“Must be an important memento, then. Burning a lot of fuel for it," noted the steward.</p><p>“Mhm.”</p><p>“Alright, if you are armed, please leave any and all weapons here, which will be returned-…”</p><p>She cut him off. “Spare me the two-step. This isn’t my first rodeo."</p><p>He shot her a curious look. “As you wish. Please step inside the scanner and wait a moment.”</p><p>She reluctantly did as instructed. Her vision was temporarily blurred as the electromagnetic waves of the scanner passed through her.</p><p>“All clear. Please head on through. You will be notified once the rocket is ready for boarding,” said the steward.</p><p>V paid him no mind and strutted off through the gate.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright V, everything’s lookin’ good from here,” said Nix.</p><p>“Yup,” she agreed.</p><p>After walking down a long hallway covered in giant ceramic tiles that seemed whiter than white, V reached an elegant living room, decorated with all manner of fancy furniture such as an ornate gold-and-white sofa, coffee table, and a massive television. The elevator that would lead her up the tower where she’d embark in the rocket pod was on the opposite side of the room.</p><p>She sat down on the sofa and looked out the window, where she spotted the surface-to-orbit rocket being fuelled by a tanker - the one Emmerick’s people hijacked.</p><p>The rocket was easily over a hundred feet tall. The conic pod at the top was placed on a flared section which extended all the way down to the main thrusters. The rocket was made of a single chassis, as the technology had advanced to the point where multistage rockets that detached were no longer necessary. The rocket was reusable, and would land back down to earth on its own. Four scramjet boosters were attached to the body of the rocket up to the halfway point, serving as additional thrusters and fuel pods.</p><p>V turned to the TV. The very same Ziggy Q she had seen earlier today in the Crystal Palace ad was interviewing Lamar Davis, a famous comedian from Arroyo.</p><p><em>“And what about Kerry Eurodyne?”</em> asked Ziggy.</p><p><em>“Kerry? Shiiiit,” </em>Lamar replied.</p><p>A few chuckles escaped from the audience in the studio.</p><p>“<em>Maybe if he got rid of that old yee-yee ass haircut he got he’d get some bitches on his dick!</em>” said the comedian.</p><p>The audience roared with laughter that time.</p><p>V heard a loud <em>ding</em> from the elevator, with the monitor beside it displaying a large green <em>Ready for Boarding</em> notice.</p><p>“Nix, heading up to the tower now,” V said.</p><p>“Copy that,” came the response.</p><p> </p><p>She stepped inside the elevator and tapped on the touchscreen button marked <em>Boarding Tower</em>. A radio station was playing a popular Night City hit, <em>GR4VES</em>. V listened to the song as the elevator ascended.</p><p>
  <em>“You don’t believe in no fate,<br/>Every day digging a grave,<br/>Step in the pit with the snakes,<br/>City of Dreams, City of Gangs.”</em>
</p><p>She reached the top level - a narrow corridor made of the same white tiles. She could see the tip of the rocket pod’s cone at the far end. Her footsteps echoed as she walked towards it.</p><p>Once V had reached the pod, she was stood directly above the rocket inside the hallway, with the hatch leading into the pod jutting from the hallway’s floor. She rotated the handwheel on the hatch counter-clockwise. With a loud<em> thunk</em>, which she took to mean the locking mechanism had disengaged, she lifted the hatch up as it hinged to the side. She looked down inside the pod – the interior was dimly-lit with a red glow, and featured a single seat within. </p><p>The merc then climbed down the pod’s ladder and closed the hatch back up from the inside with one hand, locking the handwheel. She then positioned herself onto the seat, strapping herself in with the X-shaped belt. A large monitor lowered itself from the pod’s ceiling and positioned itself in front of her. It showed the route the craft would take to her destination.</p><p>“I’m in the pod, Nix.” V said.</p><p>“Alright. Just don’t touch anything, the rocket is autonomous, gonna do its own thing. Traffic control should let you know when you’re clear any moment. Gonna disconnect for a bit - don’t want my eardrums blown as you take off.”</p><p>“Copy that," V said. </p><p>Nix and Weyland were both gone.</p><p>She looked around the pod while she waited. The walls were insulated with some sort of glossy grey fabric that had a pillowy shape to it. There were no buttons or controls; the rocket was AI-controlled. She saw a sickness bag hooked to the wall on her left.</p><p>“Miss Tilly, this is Space Traffic Control,” a voice boomed from a speaker. “Your High Mass Lift Profile Vehicle is ready for departure. Space debris along your trajectory has cleared, you have a 30-second window to launch.”</p><p>The large <em>LAUNCH </em>button on her screen which was previously greyed-out was now green.</p><p>V immediately reached out to press it, but then hesitated at the very last moment. She felt a sinking feeling in her gut – was she going to explode? She’d never done this before, though she knew space travel was safe... for the most part.</p><p>“Your window expires in 10 seconds,” the same voice announced.</p><p>Now was not the time for second thoughts. She had to do this. For her. For Judy.</p><p>Vpressed the button and grabbed her chair’s armrests.</p><p>The distant thrum of the engines vibrated across the pod almost instantaneously as they ignited. A deep rumble shook the interior. V jolted flat against her seat, feeling the immense kick of the rocket taking off from the pad. The cabin violently shook as the rocket began accelerating upwards. Her skull was pounding and her teeth were clattering as she ascended. She closed her eyes.</p><p>After what felt like an eternity, she opened her eyes once more to look at the monitor, which displayed the speed and acceleration of the rocket. The cabin was still shaking aggressively. The rocket was accelerating at a g-force of 2.5 as it ripped through the lower atmosphere under millions of pounds of thrust.</p><p>A few seconds afterwards, the rocket accelerated further to breach the stratosphere. She felt like her chest was being crushed by a large boulder. V saw the speed was climbing up every few seconds: Mach 21… 22… 23… 24; accelerating at 3 G.</p><p>The monitor then displayed Mach 25. The orbital ascension was successful – she made it through the Earth’s atmosphere.</p><p>The engines cut off, with the thrust dropping to zero in a split second. The moment felt exhilarating; the crushing pressure exerted on her body had vanished. She began floating in her chair under the straps of her seat. Although she felt relieved, her head was still throbbing.</p><p>The monitor switched to displaying an ETA. T-minus two minutes.</p><p>“V, you there?” came Nix’s voice as he re-connected to the call. Weyland did so too.</p><p>“Yeah… yeah… still here,” she said, kneading her temples with her fingertips.</p><p>“How did it feel?” the netrunner asked.</p><p>“Felt like I got run over by a truck.”</p><p>“Huh… might give that a go some time, mon,” said Weyland.</p><p>She was too dazed to think about what Squama just said. </p><p>The small nitrogen propulsors on the sides of the rocket eventually kicked in, gently firing in the opposite direction to slow the craft down as it approached the docking bay of the workshack. T-minus twenty seconds, showed the monitor. The seconds passed.</p><p>Five... four... three... two... one...</p><p>The roaring <em>clang</em> startled her once the rocket docked with the workshack. The monitor displayed a flashing <em>Docking Tube Deployed </em>message.</p><p>“Nix, it says the docking tube is deployed. That mean I’m good to go?” V asked.</p><p>“Yup,” replied the netrunner.</p><p>She quickly unbuckled herself from the seat, and was now free-floating in the air in the zero-g environment. She tried bracing herself, except the motion from her arms was causing her to spin, disorienting her even further. She began inadvertently kicking the air with her legs in an attempt to level herself. But it only made matters worse, and she spun out of control.</p><p>An unfortunate combination of factors led V to then shoot the cat.</p><p>First, she was experiencing the motion sickness and disorientation typical of someone who’d never been in a zero-g environment before. Second, she was sleep deprived from the previous night, and hadn’t eaten anything either. Third, she had the splitting headache from the orbital ascension.</p><p>Miraculously though, she somehow managed to grab the sickness bag off the wall just in time, before emptying the contents of her stomach into it.</p><p>“Hahaha!” Weyland laughed over the holo. “Now I know why they call it a ‘vomit comet.’”</p><p>“Space adaptation syndrome,” said Nix, trying his best to hide his grin. “It’ll pass in a few hours.”</p><p>V immediately zipped the bag shut before the contents had a chance to escape. “Ugh. Where’s the spacesuit?” V groaned. She still felt a bit queasy.</p><p>“Wait, you didn’t put the spacesuit on before taking off?” Nix asked.</p><p>“Uhhh… no. Was I supposed to?” V said.</p><p>Nix laughed. “Damn, V, youse one sandwich short of a picnic, you know that?”</p><p>She scowled at his holo-image.</p><p>“Shouldn’t be a problem suiting up in zero-gee,” he continued, “Just a bit trickier, is all. Closet’s somewhere next to the seat.”</p><p>V slowly turned around, deciding it unwise to make any further sudden movements. Sure enough, the closet she hadn’t noticed before was there. She opened it, immediately spotting the the white spacesuit inside.</p><p>“Try ‘hopping in’ through the neck,” Nix suggested. “It’ll pull itself taut against your body once it detects you're inside.”</p><p>Although it was a bit of a struggle getting both her legs inside, she eventually managed to do so. Sure enough, as Nix said, a vacuum turned on, and the inside of the spacesuit moulded itself on her into a snug fit. She then grabbed the helmet and put it on, locking it in place. A heads-up display booted up, showing the pressure inside the suit.</p><p>“Why couldn’t they invent anything cooler than a fishbowl?” she said, frowning at the helmet.</p><p>“Who says they haven’t?” Nix asked.</p><p>“Hmph.”</p><p>V floated up to the hatch by pulling herself from the various handles on the walls of the pod. She undid the lock and exited the rocket into the docking tube. It was made of a white reinforced beta cloth, with a suction gasket ring at the end to allow it to attach to the workshack.</p><p>She then reached the docking hatch of the workshack, noticing the Replitech logo above it. She rotated the handwheel and stepped inside the airlock, closing it back up once inside. Surprisingly, the airlock lit up and the cabin pressurisation system kicked in.</p><p>“Weyland, how long did you say this station had been abandoned for?” V asked.</p><p>“Dunno, bosslady. Two or three years methinks?” he replied.</p><p>“The power’s on. Seems to have repressurised just fine.”</p><p>“Keep your helmet on, just in case,” Nix advised.</p><p>She then opened the hatch that led into the workshack.</p><p>V stepped into a crew quarters module, with two sets of five bunkbeds lining opposite walls to the left and right. It did look abandoned, however. A comb, a toothbrush, a pack of playing cards, and other items of personal belonging lazily floated in the air.</p><p>She pressed onward and went through another hatch, stepping into what looked like a kitchen and mess hall module. The room was blacked out and depressurised. A flashing red monitor close to the entrance warned of an integrity breach in the module. A long viewport traversed the entirety of the wall to V’s right, which allowed for a good view of Earth. She moved closer to get a better look at the planet.</p><p>“Holy fuckin’ Christmas!” Weyland exclaimed. Staying on the holo, he saw the Earth through V. “Thing of beauty, mon,” he noted.</p><p>V was also impressed by the breath-taking view.</p><p>Though Earth was once a magnificent blue-white sphere, the photochemical smog that blanketed the Earth’s skies had made it look more like a bleached orb, with the occasional smattering of blue from the remotest parts of the ocean. How long would it be until this thing of beauty faded away?</p><p>She continued on to the next room. Somehow, the power was still on and the module was still lit.</p><p>“Weyland, what did they use to do up here?” V asked.</p><p>“Weapons research, methinks,” he replied.</p><p>This must have been a workshop. All that remained of the room were a few workbenches nailed to the floor. A curious-looking device was tucked into a corner. V edged towards it.</p><p>“What is this thing?” she asked.</p><p>It was a small box made up of tinted black polycarbonate. Inside, a nozzle was mounted to a small gantry, the movement of which seemed to be controlled by small servomotors. The nozzle pointed down towards a flat square-shaped surface a couple of inches away from it. Four Tesla coils were placed on opposite corners of the flat surface.</p><p>“Hmm… read about this thing,” Nix replied. “A nanofactory. A molecular assembler, basically. Through mechanosynthesis, it uses electricity to fuse several…”</p><p>“Cut the boring shit, Nix,” V interrupted. “What does it do?”</p><p>“... It makes shit using nanites.” </p><p>V knew of nanotechnology from the Relic that was stuck in her head. The nanites rewired the synapses in her brain after she got shot.</p><p>“What does this make?” she asked.</p><p>“How should I know? Could be anythin’. Looks like the power is still on, why don’t you find out?”</p><p>V shrugged and pressed the <em>Fabricate</em> button on the touchscreen mounted on the curious device.</p><p>The gantry whirred to life as it began moving up and down at a very high speed. A bright blue light emanated from the nozzle, as electrical arcs sparked from the coils. V couldn’t see what was going on as the tinted polycarbonate obscured the inner workings of the machine. After about thirty seconds, the light died down to to reveal something had materialised on top of the flat surface below the gantry. It was the fabricated item. </p><p>“A grenade?” V asked.</p><p>As a merc, V had plenty of experience with grenades of all kinds: frag grenades, flashbangs, EMPs, incendiary grenades, smoke grenades, shrapnel grenades. But this one looked like nothing she’d ever seen before. It was a spherical matte black, with a recessed button in the middle.</p><p>“Interesting,” Nix concluded. “Don’t need grenades where you’re goin’, so keep movin’.”</p><p>“Hold up, bosslady,” interjected Weyland. “Take it with you.”</p><p>“Why would I take a grenade in space, Squama?” asked V, slightly amused.</p><p>“You tellin’ me ya never been in a situation where ya thought - ‘I wish I had a bumboclattin’ grenade right now, mon.’”</p><p>The merc chuckled. She thought about all the gigs where she did, in fact, wish she had a grenade to lob at bad guys. “Guess you’ve got a point,” she conceded.</p><p>V heard Nix sighing through the holo. She reached into the box through a small access door at the top and pocketed the grenade in her space suit.</p><p>She then exited the room through another hatch. She came to an intersection, taking a right towards the module marked <em>Airlock</em>. It was depressurised; space debris had cut a hole through it somewhere. She traversed the airlock and came up to another docking tube.</p><p>“You’ve reached Blue Eyes’ Arasaka shuttle,” Nix announced.</p><p>She went through the tube and opened the hatch that led inside the shuttle’s airlock. Once it repressurised, she stepped inside the shuttle proper and took her helmet off. The lights greeted the new occupant by flicking to life.</p><p>Being of a more modern design, the Arasaka shuttle’s walkway was magnetic, which allowed V to walk on it using her spacesuit’s magboots. The interior was similarly more modern and elegant than those of both the rocket pod and the workshack. She turned right towards the cockpit. Once she was inside, she placed herself on the pilot seat to the left, which featured a monitor and a control panel. The seat on the right was mirrored, with more buttons and knobs placed higher up on a panel between the two seats.</p><p>“Alright, Nix. I’m in,” she announced.</p><p>“Preem. The co-ords are already punched in, just gotta let the autopilot do its thing.”</p><p>She looked at the touchscreen monitor in front of her. It displayed a diagram of the shuttle, together with coordinates, the ship’s heading, as well as the status of the shuttle's various systems. V pressed the <em>Autopilot</em> button.</p><p>The engines hummed to life as the shuttle undocked itself from the workshack, retracting the docking tube. She could see the shuttle spinning around through the cockpit windows. The autopilot followed the pre-programmed route.</p><p>
  <em>Destination – The Crystal Palace; Time to Arrival – 5h 55m</em>
</p><p>“Starting my burn towards the station. Six hours, like you said,” V informed the netrunner.</p><p>“Great. Not much to it now. Try and get some shut-eye.”</p><p>As much as V would’ve liked to gaze at the endless void of space, she did feel oddly at peace, to the point where her splitting headache had receded.</p><p>She sighed, and closed her eyes. Maybe sleep would come after all.</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>And come it did, but it was intermittent.</p><p>When V couldn’t catch a wink, she went over the route she’d have to take in her head over and over again. And then she’d rest for a bit – until some intrusive thought or other would prevent her from falling asleep.</p><p>Intrusive thoughts she had in spades. She would often relive the harrowing events of Mikoshi, cudgelling her brains over Alt’s words. They had etched themselves inside her mind since.</p><p>
  <em>“Once out of nature I shall never take,<br/>My bodily form from any natural thing,<br/>But such a form as Grecian goldsmiths make,<br/>Of hammered gold and gold enamelling,<br/>To keep a drowsy Emperor awake;<br/>Or set upon a golden bough to sing,<br/>To lords and ladies of Byzantium,<br/>Of what is past, or passing, or to come."</em>
</p><p>The words became stranger every time she pondered them. What reason did Alt have to utter them? What could they have meant? What was Alt trying to say?</p><p>Should she have let Johnny keep her body? Was all this yet another futile attempt at escaping the consequences of her actions?</p><p>But then, V thought about Judy.</p><p>She thought about how she’d always look forward to seeing her after every gig, no matter how weary she was. She thought about Judy’s smile; her laughter – how they never failed to lift her mood, no matter how gloomy she was. She thought about how the young techie was the only thing she could truly thank Night City for, despite living there her entire life. How, in a flash, Judy became her anchor; no - her bedrock. The life ring that was mercifully thrown to her as she was drowning in the storm that darkened the past few months.</p><p>V remembered having the same thoughts on the rooftop just before the assault on Arasaka. She had a choice: the bullet, or the pill. She came to the same conclusion then, as she did now. Something that Alt, that gelid bundle of ones-and-zeroes would’ve understood once.</p><p>Some things are worth fighting for ‘till the bitter end.</p><p> </p><p>The shuttle came to a stop exactly two kilometres away from the Crystal Palace.</p><p>“Nix, I’ve arrived,” V called out through the holo. “Shuttle’s in position.”</p><p>“Right on, almost to the second,” came the response. “Blue Eyes should take down the satellite arrays any minute now.”</p><p>“Settin’ the autopilot to follow the station’s orbit, 2 klicks away at all times,” V said.</p><p>“Perfect.” </p><p>V got up from the seat and left the cockpit. She spotted the holstered pistol Blue Eyes stashed for her to use on one of the walls of the small cargo hall. She grabbed it and attached it to her suit. She then put the spacesuit helmet back on and lifted the lever to access the airlock.</p><p>“V, just got the signal,” came Nix’s voice. “Satellites are offline. Signature cloaking is activated.”</p><p>She received a message.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Mr. B </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Advanced warning systems are offline. Zipping you the codes.]<br/>[You have one hour before they change them.]<br/>[Good luck. See you down bottom.]<br/>[And don’t disappoint.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Got the codes from Blue Eyes,” V said.</p><p>“This is it, V. Let’s go!” Nix</p><p>She lifted the lever to exit the shuttle’s airlock. The hatch opened with a hiss, and the Crystal Palace was in plain view.</p><p>Squama’s surprised voice came from the holo as he marveled at the sight through V’s eyes. “Wah di rass!”</p><p>The megalithic space station was shaped like a teetotum, several kilometres in diameter and longer still in length. A cross-shaped array that consisted of multiple rows of gigantic solar panels crowned the very top. Below that, a five-toroidal-ring structure was linked to the stem of the space station. Three inner rings were spaced evenly apart, connected to the stem through various bridges. The two outer rings were wider in diameter and placed between the three inner tori. The two groups of inner and outer rings slowly rotated in separate directions, the motion generating an artificial gravity through centripetal force for the rings’ habitants. The middle of the stem featured a space dock, with berths jutting outward all the way around the stem. A larger dock was present at the very bottom of the stem, too.</p><p>The station was a sight to behold, as gigantic advertisements lined the rings and space docks. V couldn’t make out the details of each ad from that distance. Yet, they provided a colourful flair of magenta, red, pink, yellow, and blue to the otherwise dull grey structure.</p><p>“V, head for the bottom-inner ring,” said Nix.</p><p>She stepped out into the inky void of space, activating the thrusters in her spacesuit and aiming for the lowermost torus.</p><p>“Nix, the ring is spinnin’. How do I time my approach to land where I need to be?” V asked.</p><p>“Casino’s in Section C-12, it will be marked on the outside. Keep an eye out for it.”</p><p>V let out short bursts of her thrusters; she didn’t want to careen out of control. She also had to conserve the thruster gas for the trip back. As she approached the colossal ring, she could see brightly-lit windows spread across all across. She then spotted the giant yellow markings near the bottom of the ring, indicating each section of the ring with a line.</p><p>Her suit’s thrusters fired in the opposite direction as she slowed herself down. With the torus spinning counterclockwise from her perspective, she kept an eye out for the section she needed to land at.</p><p>C-08. A few moments pass, the marking for the next delineated section came into view. C-09. A few moments later, C-10. Then C-11. The airlocks to the maintenance tunnel were at the bottom of each ring.</p><p>V angled herself ahead of C-12, estimating the position the ring would spin to as well as the spot she’d land at in a few moments.</p><p>She kicked her thrusters into an overdrive burst. Section C-12 came into view. She spotted the maintenance access airlock she needed to time the landing perfectly to.</p><p>A few seconds pass, after which she realised her speed was too fast compared to the spin of the ring; she had the thrusters reduce some of her momentum. Doing so caused her to veer upwards too much – so she further corrected her approach vector with vertical thrusts from the suit. The airlock was getting closer. A few moments more, and she’d make contact. She extended a hand outward to grab it.</p><p> </p><p>And she'd almost missed it.</p><p>V panicked at the last moment, thinking she was going too slow. The lurch from the thrusters as they kicked in caused her to nearly miss the airlock’s handle. But she grabbed it, and she was now spinning with the ring. She held on to it as if her life depended on it. Which it did, in a way.</p><p>She breathed a sigh of relief. “Got the airlock, Nix,” she said.</p><p>“I can see that. Nice one, V. Punch in the code.”</p><p>She looked at the keypad next to the airlock door. She typed in the code Blue Eyes had sent her. The keypad accepted it with a <em>beep</em> and a green light. She then lifted the lever and headed inside, closing the hatch after she stepped in. She noticed a flashing red sign on one of the monitors – <em>Pressure Sensor Offline</em>.</p><p>Nix spotted it too. “Like Blue Eyes said, their early warning system is offline. Sensor would’ve detected a depressurisation in the airlock. Would’ve sent someone to investigate.”</p><p>“Great,” V said unenthusiastically.</p><p>“Let’s keep the chatter to a minimum now. Less chance for them to locate our comms signal, yeah?” Nix said.</p><p>“Alright, mon,” Weyland agreed.</p><p>V opened the inner airlock door, closing it back up after stepping inside the narrow maintenance hallway. It was awash in a dim red light. She looked to her left, and her right - the hallway stretched equally in both directions. Two massive pipes stacked on top of each other were attached to the back wall. One was red, the other was orange. She remembered spotting pipes of similar colour at the spaceport back in Night City.</p><p>She got out of her spacesuit and holstered the pistol she grabbed from the shuttle. She thought about taking the grenade she pocketed in the workshack, too. She ultimately decided taking it was a stupid idea after all, and left it with the space suit, which she tucked away out of view behind one of the large pipes.</p><p>Remembering the route she'd memorsied, V turned right and made her way down the maintenance hall. She used her Kiroshi optics to scan the environment at all times, watching for security cams. She could hear the low thrum of large ventilation fans echo across the endless corridor.</p><p>The maintenance hall had ladders positioned at specific intervals; the eighth one to the right of her airlock led up to the admin level of Arasaka’s casino. She passed by all of them, counting them out as she went along. After a little while she reached the ladder she needed to climb, and stopped a few meters away from it. She noticed a surveillance cam through the scanner in her optics, after which she quickly uploaded a basic quickhack to disable it for a little while.</p><p>V then climbed up the ladder and carefully opened the hatch. She slowly lifted it, peeking through the opening to check if the coast was clear. She couldn’t hear anything except for the humming of fans. The ladder seemed to have led up to a server room; she saw the blue glow of server stacks inside glass casings.</p><p>She used her cyberdeck to ping one of the servers. Her optics traced a link to another surveillance cam inside the room, which she also disabled with a quickhack, before climbing all the way up.</p><p>The room was dark and cold, with the only lighting coming from the server arrays. The door that led out the room immediately stood out, as bright light from outside shone through the opaque glass. She made her way towards it, and tried to open it. The door was locked, however.</p><p>
  <em>Shit.</em>
</p><p>Blue Eyes hadn’t sent her the code for this door. She also wasn’t a proficient netrunner, unable to execute a breach protocol to upload a daemon to open it. She had only one alternative.</p><p>
  <em>Gotta short it.</em>
</p><p>She pulled the Kendachi monowire from her left wrist.</p><p>The monowire was a curious thing. A whip-like instrument no wider than a molecule, it could cut through just about anything. V needed special-purpose composite ceramic material grafted to half of each of her palms in order to grip the wire and not cut through herself. It did take a while for her to master its use - she cut a random person’s car in half by accident when she first had it installed.</p><p>When aimed at either a personal link port or a neural port in someone’s head, the wire would home its way inside in the blink of an eye, short-circuiting any electrics within. V positioned the tip of the wire close to the door’s access port. As if drawn by a magnet, it pulled itself through the port with a quick <em>fwoop</em>. With a buzzing noise and a few sparks, the door opened and the wire just as quickly reeled itself back inside her wrist’s opening. She was then able to open the door.</p><p>She recognised the hallway the door opened up to, immediately taking a left. It was wide and well-lit, with doors leading into various rooms and offices. She heard noise coming from within some of them, so she made sure to muffle her steps as best she could.</p><p>The walls were covered in posters and neon signage that displayed the casino the admin level was currently under. Arasaka’s casino was called <em>The Sacred Temple</em>. A temple of cupidity and profligacy, that much was certain.</p><p>V eventually reached a T-junction in the hallway. She was supposed to head on straight ahead, but she heard voices coming from around the corner. There was a door to her right - she saw there was no light coming from within, so she took her chances and opened it to hide inside. The lights automatically flicked to life, revealing a conference room. She quickhacked them back off and closed the door, crouching down beside it. The voices turned the corner, and V saw the outline of two figures walk past the door. After a few moments, she opened it back up and looked to her left where the figures continued on their way. She scanned them using her optics – they were security guards patrolling the halls.</p><p>“Nice work V,” whispered Nix on the holo.</p><p>She turned right, and continued down her route. After a minute or so of skulking onward, the hallway opened up to a lobby. The three-pronged Arasaka logo was plastered everywhere.</p><p>A receptionist’s desk was placed in the middle of the bare room, with an elevator on the wall in front of it and several monitors playing the casino's promotional vids to the back of it. A security guard was stationed at the desk.</p><p>The security guard was conversing with a large Japanese man with a traditional <em>chonmage </em>topknot haircut. One could’ve mistaken him for a sumo wrestler, if it weren’t for the elegant black-and-red suit he wore. He was stood in front of the desk.</p><p>V had to hug the wall to her left to avoid being spotted. Her autotranslator interpreted their Japanese.</p><p>“<em>Keibi appugurēdo ga zokute irurashī</em>” (It would appear the security upgrades are going as planned), he said to the guard.</p><p>“<em>Kashikomarimashita</em>” (Yes, sir), said the guard, bowing his head.</p><p>“<em>Īndesu. Ato 30-bu ni watashi no jimusho ni shatoru o okutte kurete kudasai.”</em> (Very good. Have the shuttle sent to my office in half an hour. I will be departing for Earth)</p><p><em>“Kashikomarimashita”</em> (Yes, sir), repeated the guard, bowing his head even lower.</p><p>The large man turned around and stepped into the elevator. The doors closed, after which it went on its way.</p><p>V uploaded a quickhack to one of the monitors behind the security guard. Static hissed as the images glitched out, prompting him to turn around. He walked over to the monitors to investigate.</p><p>Staying crouched low, she seized the opportunity and dashed across the lobby down another hallway.</p><p>“V, that was the casino’s pit boss, Ishido Koyo,” whispered Nix.</p><p>“Copy.”</p><p>She disabled another surveillance cam with a quickhack before reaching a four-way intersection. She took the path to her right.</p><p>After passing three doors on her left, she reached her destination at the fourth. Her Kiroshi optics picked up an individual beyond the door, though he was facing away from her. She opened the door.</p><p>The security guard was stood facing rows of surveillance cam monitors to her right. He was speaking to someone over the holo. He didn’t hear the door open.</p><p>“… <em>kyamera, 42, 69, 420 mo keshite imasu</em>” (… cameras 42, 69 and 420 are down too), he said. “<em>Kanshi o appugurēdo shite iru</em>?” (Are they upgrading surveillance?)</p><p>He waited for a response from his colleague, but V didn’t. She sneaked over behind him and put him in a chokehold. He struggled for a bit, but V’s grip was tight. Eventually, the security guard passed out. She plopped him neatly back on his chair, tilting his head down as if he were taking a nap.</p><p>Remembering to keep track of the time, V quickly looked at her watch - forty minutes left until the codes changed. She turned to her left, away from all the monitors. The strongroom she needed to access lay at the opposite end, below some stairs. The vault door was fairly muted in appearance, though V knew it was deceptively simple for a reason.</p><p>“Nix, I’m at the strongroom,” V whispered.</p><p>“Copy, pop in the code at the door.” he said.</p><p>She went down the stairs and stopped in front of the vault door.</p><p>V's pulse started racing. “Shit, there’s no keypad,” she said.</p><p>She looked over the surfaces of the vault door and the frame it was attached to. The pristine, anodised metal surface showed no signs of a code input mechanism, keypad or otherwise. V eventually spotted a small slit to the right of the door. It was barely perceptible.</p><p>“Nix, is that for some kind of key?” V whispered.</p><p>“Looks like it.”</p><p>
  <em>Shit. </em>
</p><p>“Who the fuck has the key?” V asked, voice slightly raised in frustration.</p><p>“Don’t worry, this ain’t the casino’s main vault - you won’t find Shangri-La on the other side. Try the guard?”</p><p>V let out a vexed sigh and headed back up the stairs where the guard was sitting unconscious. She rummaged through the pockets of his jacket and trousers to no avail. Frustrated, she then noticed the lanyard around his neck, which had a silvery metallic card dangling from it. She ripped it off and headed back down towards the strongroom.</p><p>She inserted the card into the slot. Seemingly out of nowhere, a small portion of the wall previously integrated seamlessly into the side of the door flipped 180° to reveal a touchscreen keypad.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck yeah.</em>
</p><p>She input the respective code Blue Eyes had given her. The keypad accepted it with a <em>beep</em>, and the locking mechanisms disengaged one-by-one with a loud <em>clunk, thunk</em>, <em>thump</em>. The vault then opened automatically with a hiss. She looked at the impressive cross-section of the vault door as it swung wide. V estimated it to be about two feet thick – very hard to breach by conventional means.</p><p>“Motion sensors should be offline,” whispered Nix.</p><p>She stepped inside the vault; the lights came on automatically. It wasn’t as large as she'd expected it to be, though Nix did say Arasaka had a much larger one somewhere else. This one had three walls with hundreds of safe deposit boxes. It oddly reminded V of the columbarium back in Night City. The glossy black surface of each box shone as the room lit up.</p><p>“Quick, V. Right wall, fourth column, third row from the bottom,” said Nix.</p><p>She rushed to the strongbox Nix indicated. Each one had a small touchscreen panel on the bottom right to input a code. She typed in the final code Blue Eyes had sent her. It was accepted.</p><p>She opened up the box to find a metallic casing inside. She took it out and popped the lid open. Inside a velvety mould rested a blue datashard.</p><p>“Is this the list of names?” V whispered.</p><p>“Has to be,” Nix replied.</p><p>“If this be so important, mon, why they be keeping it in this small vault?” asked Weyland.</p><p>“Some people don’t value knowledge as much as wealth, I guess. Now get out of there, V. Nice and easy,” the netrunner advised.</p><p>V closed the casing and pocketed it.</p><p>As she got up and turned to leave, something shook her to the core.</p><p> </p><p>Sirens went off.</p><p>“Fuck!”</p><p>“Scram, V!” Nix cried out.</p><p>She made a run for the exit. The vault door was slowly closing back up. She barely managed to squeeze through the gap as the vault door loudly shut behind her. She had to take a moment to breathe a sigh of relief.</p><p>The alarms kept ringing throughout the room, and no doubt across the hallways too.</p><p>“What the fuck, Nix?!” she yelled, throwing her arms up in the air.</p><p>“I don’t know! Maybe they finished their security upgrades? Detected our comms? Just go!” he yelled.</p><p>“Urgh!”</p><p>V made a break for it and left the room. She turned right down the hallway, eventually coming up to the same four-way junction.</p><p>A couple of security guards were rushing towards her from the hallway to her right.</p><p>The adrenaline kicked in. And if there was one thing V was good at, it was firearms. She whipped out her pistol and shot them both.</p><p>
  <em>BANG! BANG!</em>
</p><p>Pinpoint accuracy – both square in the head. They dropped instantly.</p><p>“Careful with that, V!” yelled Nix.</p><p>“<em>Shin'nyū-sha imasu</em>!” (Intruder spotted!) she heard a voice shout from one of the hallways. “<em>Kanojo wa kenjū o motte imasu! Busōdesu! Ki o tsukete kudasai!” </em>(She is carrying a pistol! Repeat. She is armed!)</p><p>V rushed back towards the reception. The security guard at the desk stood up once he spotted her rushing through. </p><p><em>“Hora, mate!”</em> (Hey!), he called out, standing up from his desk.</p><p>She didn’t have time for this. V flicked her left arm towards him. The monowire pierced the guard’s throat like a spear.</p><p>She continued running as the confused guard grabbed his throat, gurgling.</p><p>After a few moments, V approached the T-junction. Two guards were coming from her left - too far away for the monowire.</p><p>She shot at them.</p><p>
  <em>BANG! BANG! </em>
</p><p>Two more shots. One landed – headshot. The other guard ducked just in time, taking cover behind a corner.</p><p><em>“Tokushu butai ga hitsuyōdesu!”</em> (We need tactical in here!) shouted the guard over his comms.</p><p>V kept on running, passing by the various offices. Some panicked clerks opened the doors to investigate the commotion. Some immediately shut them again once they saw the merc, others screamed in place, others just froze and raised their hands.</p><p>She ran past all of them.</p><p>She reached the door to the sever room. Thankfully, it was still shorted.</p><p>Two more guards emerged from a room to her left. They were very close to her. Dangerously close - but for them, not for her.</p><p>She flicked her left arm in an upwards motion, and pivoted her torso to shoot with the gun in her right hand.</p><p>
  <em>Fwoom. BANG!</em>
</p><p>Headshot. The lifeless body flopped to the ground. The other guard was sliced at the midriff in two by her monowire. He looked down in shock as his torso slid down from his waist onto the floor.</p><p>V spun back around and opened the door to the server room. Stepping inside, she lifted the hatch on the floor and climbed down the ladder.</p><p>Even in the maintenance tunnel she could still hear the sirens blaring. She made a mad dash for the airlock. The surveillance cams were back online as her quickhacks weren’t very strong, but she was past caring at that point.</p><p>Once she reached the spacesuit, she grabbed it from behind the giant pipes and put it back on.</p><p>She could hear footsteps coming from behind her. She couldn’t see them, as the curvature of the ring obscured them.</p><p>She reached to open the airlock. Except, she couldn’t – it was jammed.</p><p>“NIX?!” she yelled.</p><p>“Try the code, V!” he shouted back.</p><p>She typed in the code in the keypad. The code was rejected.</p><p>She tried punching it in again. Rejected.</p><p>“Dog shit, cat shit, rat shit – <em>fuck</em>!” V yelled, as she typed it in again to no avail.</p><p>She heard an odd buzzing noise fly by her head. The corner of her eye picked up a flashing light before disappearing.</p><p>She turned to her left. Someone had shot at her.</p><p>She quickly drew the pistol, and shot the guard.</p><p>
  <em>BANG!</em>
</p><p>She didn’t miss. He dropped to the ground.</p><p>“Electric rope guns, bosslady! If they hit you, they’ll tie around you and trap you, mon!” Weyland called out.</p><p>
  <em>Great.</em>
</p><p>"Careful where you're shootin'! The walls are really thin!" warned Nix.</p><p>“Fuckin' get me outta here, Nix!”</p><p>“I’m tryin’! Ditch the suit!” </p><p>She could hear more footsteps. She quickly took the spacesuit off.</p><p>“Now run the other way!” the netrunner yelled.</p><p>Before turning to leave in the opposite direction, she quickly grabbed the mysterious grenade she had originally left in the suit. Things had gone to hell now. anyway.</p><p> </p><p>V ran in the opposite direction as Nix instructed.</p><p>“Ishido said he was callin’ a shuttle. Think I can get you to it,” Nix said.</p><p>“Oh yeah?! Where the fuck is that?” V yelled as she ran.</p><p>“You’ll have to go through the casino.”</p><p>She could hear shouting from behind her as she ran.</p><p>“The next ladder to your right, V!” Nix called.</p><p>Once V had reached the ladder, she started climbing it up. The adrenaline was still pumping.</p><p>As she reached the top, she made a split-second decision. If her pursuers reached the ladder before she got all the way up, she would’ve had no chance to dodge the rope gun.</p><p>She activated the grenade and dropped it below her. A few moments later, she reached the top.</p><p>She heard the echo of a voice below her. “<em>Kuso tare!”</em> (Oh, fuck!).</p><p> </p><p>Sometimes, when a person makes a bad decision, they can come to regret it. Sometimes it could be a while after the fact, or it could be immediately after. In that moment, V realised the purpose of the pipes in the maintenance tunnel – the red and orange ones she’d also seen at the spaceport. They carried rocket fuel mix – for shuttles docking at the ring.</p><p>And she’d just dropped a grenade next to them.</p><p>“Oh f-…”</p><p>The thunderous boom that sundered the air, and the subsequent infernal spout of flames from the manhole she’d just climbed out of interrupted her train of thought – and pushed her back, sending her flying a few feet to crash against a wall. The impact knocked the wind out of her. She saw her trousers were on fire.</p><p>The room she was in shook violently as flames engulfed the ceiling.</p><p>“V! Get up!” Nix called out.</p><p>She was dizzy and disoriented. She began furiously slapping at her legs, putting the little fires out as the room kept shaking from the combustion on the maintenance level.</p><p>She then woozily got back up on her feet. She coughing and blinking furiously. The smoke in the room made it harder to see, but she could make out she was in some sort of large storage bay.</p><p>“V! Door to your right!” yelled the netrunner.</p><p>
  <em>BOOM</em>
</p><p>Another explosion, another violent shake. V fell on her knees, but quickly got back up. She spotted the door and rushed towards it. She could hear screaming from the other side. She opened it, and stepped out to one of the concourses in the ring.</p><p>Panicked corpos and bourgies were yelling and screaming, running for their lives in fits of panic in different directions.</p><p>A botanical plaza was on the opposite end of the concourse from where V was stood. To her left and right, various nightclubs, boutique stores, sex shops, and other venues were built into the walls. The clean and elegant white décor of the concourse was accentuated by gold highlights everywhere, much like her penthouse back in Night City.</p><p>“Casino’s to your right, V! Move it!”</p><p>V blitzed down the concourse as instructed. She ran against the current of people, who were all running away from the casino. The occasional boom of another explosion, accompanied by more violent quaking, occasionally put her off-balance. But she managed to stay on her feet and keep running.</p><p>She saw the entrance to <em>The Sacred Temple</em> in front of her. A massive traditional Japanese <em>torii</em> gate marked the entrance to the casino’s grand atrium. Giant jade <em>komainu </em>lion-dogs stood guard on opposite sides of the gate.</p><p>She passed through, and stepped inside.</p><p>The casino was a massive six-storey atrium, lavishly decorated in a mix of Neo-Kitsch and traditional Edo period Japanese architecture. Japanese maple and cherry trees were lined besides koi fish ponds on the middle portion of the ground floor. Giant holographic dragons, tigers, cranes and koi fish floated in the air. Edo period-style flags of Arasaka hung from the red-gold balustrades, which had the signature upward-pointing eaves. Red paper lanterns hung from the ceilings. Japanese <em>ukiyo-e</em> art was painted on all the walls. A fake golden hip-and-gable roof crowned the top, as befitting any Japanese temple.</p><p>To the left and right of the koi fish ponds, rows of slot machines lined the entire ground floor of the casino. It was almost entirely deserted, as most people had already fled by the time V arrived.  </p><p>“Elevator on the opposite side of the atrium, to the right!” called Nix.</p><p>V heard the familiar buzzing sound as she rushed to the elevator.</p><p>She looked back to see a crack team of heavily-armoured soldiers wielding the electric rope guns. “ESA” was marked on their body armour. She fired a few rounds of her pistol at them as continued on. They didn’t connect, but they did slow her targets down as they took cover.</p><p>The casino violently shook again from all the rumbling in the maintenance level.</p><p>One of the soldiers threw a flashbang grenade at her. She turned and ran as she cupped her ears tightly.</p><p>The loud <em>BANG </em>didn’t have much of an effect; she'd managed to put enough distance between her and the grenade. Seeing a few more electric ropes zoom past her, she started zigzagging to dodge them.</p><p>She then reached the tubular glass elevator and stepped inside. She shot a few more rounds at the soldiers before punching the button for the sixth floor.</p><p>”Shit, this is bad, V. Dunno if that ring can take all those explosions,” Nix said.</p><p>The elite ESA squad rushed up the stairs in their chase. She saw the various floors through the elevator glass as she travelled upwards – first floor was for the pachinko games; second floor for roulette; third for blackjack; fourth for baccarat; fifth for poker.</p><p>More explosions. The elevator shook furiously. Plaster from the casino’s roof dropped down to the ground. </p><p>V eventually reached the sixth floor - reserved for various luxurious Japanese restaurants. Her target was an important-looking door flanked by jade statues on the opposite side of the atrium from the restaurants. It was the pit boss’s office.</p><p>As she made for the door, she saw three large huscles wielding <em>kanabō </em>bats. They wore white <em>kumadori </em>face paint, reminiscent of Japanese kabuki theatre actors. The huscles spotted her too, and rushed towards her.</p><p>She decided to conserve ammo.</p><p>The first huscle charged at her with his bat. V spun her monowire in the air like a lasso before whipping it at him. It cut cleanly through his neck, decapitating him.</p><p>The second huscle was taken aback by the gory sight, and hesitated for a moment. It proved fatal as V’s monowire first cut through his bat, before piercing his chest and savagely cutting across it. He dropped to his knees before lifelessly falling face-first on the ground.</p><p>The third huscle proved more resilient. The monowire was temporarily out of charge.</p><p>She lashed the whiplike wire at his bat, which then wrapped around it. V yanked the bat as hard as she could, plying it from his hands. She grabbed the <em>kanabō</em>’s handle in mid-air as the wire retracted into her wrist.</p><p>Disarmed, the huscle was confused for a brief moment, before angrily charging fists-first anyway. V swung the club at him, and although he cushioned a lot of the impact with his arms, she still managed to land a blow to his head, which disoriented him. She the ferociously struck him again. He fell limp to the ground, and V then dropped the <em>kanabō</em>.</p><p>The ESA soldiers were firing more ropes at her from below since she was close to the balustrade. V fired a few more rounds back at them. After the brief discharge, she saw that she had only one bullet left.</p><p>She made for the pit boss’s office. Another explosion could be felt in the distance. More shaking.</p><p>Reaching the lavishly-decorated entrance, she busted through the doors with a hard kick.</p><p>The pit boss’s office was decorated in an equally luxurious manner. Two golden samurai statues flanked V as she stood in the entrance. A massive golden desk was placed in the middle of the room, which was covered in traditional tatami flooring. A katana was on display at the front of the desk. A replica of <em>The Great Wave off Kanagawa</em> was painted on one of the red walls. Golden cabinets, red velvet sofas and other ornate furniture adorned the room. Behind the pit boss was the airlock exit to his personal shuttle dock.</p><p>The pit boss Ishido Koyo was sat at his desk, panicking, as he spoke on the holo to someone.</p><p>“<em>Dare ga wakari-…!”</em> (I don’t know who it-…!). He was startled by the interruption. <em>“</em><em>Anatahadare?!”</em> (Who are you?!), he shouted at the intruder, getting off the holocall.</p><p>V pointed her gun at him. “I’m taking your shuttle,” she said.</p><p><em>“</em><em>Ore no kabane wo koe te yuke</em><em>!”</em> (Over my dead body!), he yelled. He pressed a button underneath his desk.</p><p>She couldn’t risk it. She shot the pit boss in the head.</p><p>His body jolted back in the seat. His eyes remained open and lifeless.</p><p>V was out of bullets. She dropped her gun.</p><p>As she was about to run towards the airlock, she was grabbed by the back of her neck and thrown towards the desk. She landed nose-first on the hard wood.</p><p>“Ugh…” Disoriented, she instinctively cupped her nose and face, closing her eyes as she winced in pain.</p><p><em>“</em><em>Shin'nyū-sha imasu. Shōmetsu no tejun o hajimarimasu</em>.<em>”</em> (Intruder detected. Commencing termination protocols), she heard two mechanical voices say in unison.</p><p>She opened her eyes and looked back.</p><p>The two golden samurai statues that flanked the entrance had come to life.</p><p>Their eyes glowed a deep scarlet red. They had drawn their katanas from their scabbards. One samurai had a grinning mask attached to its <em>kabuto</em> helmet, the other had a mask displaying a menacing scowl.</p><p>“Gotta be fuckin’ kiddin’ me,” she said, as she got up, still rubbing her bloody nose.</p><p>She quickly equipped the katana that was on the desk, throwing the scabbard to the floor. She gripped the sword with two hands.</p><p>Both samurai charged her.</p><p>V balanced her weight on her left foot and adopted a defensive stance.</p><p>She parried the first blow from the grinner. The scowler then struck at her. She blocked that too with an overhead parry.</p><p>More strikes from the statues. The <em>ching</em> of metal-on-metal resonated throughout the room.</p><p>Their attacks were quick and relentless. V struggled maintaining good footwork as she staved off their blows, constantly looking for an opening to counter. The grinner always kept to her left, while the scowler was to her right.</p><p>Another large explosion from below caused them all to briefly teeter as the floor shook. But they maintained their balance.</p><p>She had to quickly finish them off before the tactical squad reached her.</p><p>She circled around the desk to separate the two samurai. The scowler shuffled back to find an opening as the desk got in its way. The grinner remained close, holding its sword’s pommel close to its head, pointing the blade at V.</p><p>It suddenly decided to lunge at her. V dodged to the side and riposted with a swift downward slash of her katana. She severed its arms at the elbows.</p><p>They were cybernetic – these were droids disguised as statues.</p><p>The now-disarmed grinner kicked her in the chest, which took her by surprise. She maintained her footing and slid backwards, reeling from the pain.</p><p>The grinner fell to the floor as it couldn’t balance itself from the tremor of yet another explosion. The scowler intervened and charged V. She poised herself. Their blades clashed.</p><p>A few more elegantly-executed strikes from the statue. A few more desperate parries and dodges from V. The scowler moved too quickly for her to counter in time.</p><p>But then in an elegant flourish of samurai swordsmanship, the statue suddenly cut through the air in an upward slash. V blocked the strike with a low parry. The blades clanged as they vibrated - hum rippling throughout the room. Now was her chance.</p><p>She flicked her arm to the left. The monowire did its job. The scowler’s head dropped to the floor with a deep <em>thud</em>. The rest of its body followed.</p><p>“Watch out, mon!” yelled Weyland over the holo.</p><p>The grinner, armless, charged head-first at her.</p><p>She quickly dodged out of the way.</p><p>But the grinner didn’t stop. It seemed to have intentionally charged straight at the wall.</p><p>Straight through it.</p><p>It created a breach into the endless void of space.</p><p>V could hear dreaded hissing of depressurisation. The room was covered in a blanket of red as alarms were ringing. An airlock sealed the double doors that lead to the office.</p><p>“V, get outta there!” cried Nix.</p><p>The change in pressure from the hole was big enough to begin sucking her into it. She had to hold on to furniture as she made her way to the airlock.</p><p>It was a more elegant sliding door. She reached it after struggling for a few seconds, and opened it through the control panel on the side. She stepped inside.</p><p>And tripped. Something had grabbed her ankle. She twisted her head to look.</p><p>The headless scowler, laid prone of the floor, was holding on to her right ankle as it was slowly getting pulled towards the breach.</p><p>The pressure regulation system automatically shut the door to the airlock. At least, it attempted to. The headless samurai droid was still holding on to her. The sliding door caught V’s right leg, directly under her knee.</p><p>She howled in pain.</p><p>She realised she had mere seconds before the oxygen levels would drop to the point where she’d pass out.</p><p>“V!” yelled Weyland.</p><p> </p><p>She grabbed the end of the monowire with her right hand, and sliced her lower leg off like a guillotine. She screamed louder than she’d ever done in her life.</p><p>The airlock door shut tight. The samurai droid was sucked in through the breach, taking her severed leg with it.</p><p>She gritted her teeth hard, wincing and groaning in pain. She looked at her leg. The monowire cauterised it as it sliced through it.</p><p>Thankfully, she had pain receptor blockers installed in her nervous system. But it was still agonising.</p><p>She slowly got up, leaning heavily against the wall. She saw the elite ESA squad stare at her from the other side of the entrance, unable to enter.</p><p>She turned around, and limped to the other airlock which lead to the pit boss’s shuttle.</p><p>She opened it, and made her way through the docking tube. The shuttle was a one-person luxury craft, smaller than the Arasaka one Blue Eyes had stolen. She had to grab hold of various things as she hobbled to the cockpit.</p><p>“V, zippin’ you the coords! Pop them into the navicomputer!” yelled Nix.</p><p>She did as instructed, unable to formulate a response as she tried her best to isolate the excruciating pain she felt.</p><p>With sluggish movements, she punched in the coordinates Nix had sent her into the computer. The searing agony in her leg was unrelenting.</p><p>She turned on the autopilot. The shuttle disengaged the docking tube, and the engines roared to life.</p><p>“V! Stay with us! You okay?” Nix called out.</p><p>“Bosslady, stay awake, mon!” cried Weyland.</p><p>Their voices gradually faded as she battled the pain.</p><p>Mouth agape, struggling to keep her eyes open, she looked out the cockpit. She could see Earth in the distance, as the shuttle was now pointed towards it.</p><p>The voices from the holo were bombarding her, though she couldn’t make out anything they were saying.</p><p>V clutched the amulet Misty had given her. Tears welled in her eyes.</p><p>
  <em>I did it, Jude…</em>
</p><p> </p><p>She couldn’t keep them open.</p><p> </p><p>Darkness.</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p><br/>She could smell tobacco smoke.</p><p>
  <em>Beep. Beep. Beep.</em>
</p><p>She opened her eyes slowly.</p><p>Her vision was foggy. She couldn’t see much. The room was lit only by a bedside lamp, and a few lit X-ray scans on the wall opposite her bed.</p><p>She was laid on her back. The pain in her leg subsided to a dull ache. Her head, on the other hand, felt like it was full of hot embers.</p><p>
  <em>Beep. Beep. Beep. </em>
</p><p>She turned her head left towards the beeping. Her vision started to improve. She saw an electrocardiogram placed next to the bed.</p><p> </p><p>”Well, now. Look who’s finally awake,” said a voice. It was bone-chilling.</p><p>She flicked her head to her right. She couldn’t make out the figure, though she saw two glowing blue beads amidst the blurry darkness.</p><p>She blinked rapidly. She wanted to rub her eyes, but she felt her arms were tied down underneath the blanket wrapped over her. She started struggling against the restraints.</p><p>“Th… the fff-f…” she tried saying.</p><p>“Now, now. You need to conserve your energy,” the figure said. “We have important things to discuss.”</p><p>Her vision was slowly clearing up.</p><p>She could see soigné features of Mr. Blue Eyes as he was sat on a chair, smoking a cigar.</p><p>“Well then, V. You seem to have a penchant for making a dramatic exit,” he said, as he copped a drag of his cigar. He blew the smoke up in the air.</p><p>“You kept your end of the bargain, though not as I had initially hoped.”</p><p>He stood up. He pocketed his free hand, as he started pacing about the room.</p><p>“Thousands killed in the lowermost ring,” he chuckled. “We had to fish you out of the Gulf of Mexico.”</p><p>“Though… I did say I was a man of my word, V,” he continued. “We’ve been looking at your particular problem while you were off in the land of Nod.”</p><p>“Wh…”</p><p>The buzzing in her head made it difficult to get her tongue round what she wanted to say.</p><p>“As I promised, we do have a solution for you.” He stopped pacing, and turned to face her.</p><p>His eyes suddenly glowed orange as he holo’d somebody.</p><p>“Send her in,” he said.</p><p> </p><p>A few minutes later, the door on the far side of the room opened and a young woman walked in.</p><p>V’s vision was still hazy. She tried focusing in on the figure that stepped inside. She looked oddly familiar.</p><p>The realisation slowly crept in as her sight returned to normal.</p><p>Her heart started pounding.</p><p>It was her.</p><p>It was her<em>self</em>. It was V, but not-V. She had the same face, the same hair, the same body.</p><p>And she was smiling, with her hands tucked behind her back.</p><p>Blue Eyes turned to not-V and smiled. He then turned to look at V, the one lying on the bed.</p><p>He clasped his hands together in excitement. “Cloning!” he proclaimed.</p><p>V’s heart sank to the deepest, darkest pit inside her gut.</p><p>
  <em>No…</em>
</p><p>He nodded towards not-V. “Fifth attempt, this one… I think,” he said.</p><p>Not-V looked at V. She was still smiling.</p><p>Blue Eyes wagged a finger at V. “You are one tough nut to crack,” he said, tone as sharp as ever.</p><p>V started breathing rapidly.</p><p>
  <em>No… Judy…</em>
</p><p>“Mm-...m…motherfff…” she tried saying.</p><p>“Now, now. You have to admit, she is pretty great, is she not?” Blue Eyes rhetorically asked.</p><p>He turned to Not-V once again, who shifted her gaze to meet his.</p><p>“Truly wonderful what technology can do,” he said, before putting the cigar to his mouth and pacing once more.</p><p>V balled her fists, and started struggling against her restraints once more.</p><p>“G-ggonna… ffff-fuckkin’…”</p><p>“Unfortunately,” Blue Eyes interrupted her, “The technology has worked <em>too </em>well.” He looked at V as she angrily flailed in her bed.</p><p>He stopped to not-V’s right.</p><p>“Your clone has inherited the same affliction that plagues you,” he announced, pointing at V. His voice never betraying a single emotion. “She is also dying.” He frowned.</p><p> </p><p>He deftly produced a pistol from inside his blazer, and shot V’s clone in the head.</p><p>V recoiled from the loud noise.</p><p>Not-V dropped to the ground, dead as a doornail. Blood splattered the walls.</p><p>She just saw herself get shot... and die.</p><p>Blue Eyes sniffed, and tucked his weapon back in his suit. He got on the holo again. “Come clean this mess up,” he ordered.</p><p>“W…what a-…” V said with a trembling voice.</p><p>“Oh, don’t you worry,” said the illusive man. He puffed at his cigar again.</p><p>Two men entered the room and dragged the clone’s lifeless body by her arms, leaving a trail of blood on the floor.</p><p>“That was not the promising avenue,” Blue Eyes said. “As we understand from what we’ve dug up from your memories, V, your mind is an intruder in what is now Johnny Silverhand’s body.” He continued pacing.</p><p>“I am an avid student of the mind, myself, you know,” he explained, pointing to himself. “There is much we’ve yet to discover.” </p><p>He paused to correct himself. “Make no mistake though, each and every day we learn a bit more about the fleshy thing inside our skulls.” He tapped his head.</p><p>“Wh… what’re you gettin’ at?” V said, still shaken from seeing her clone – herself – die right before her eyes.</p><p>“The mind, as it turns out, is quite malleable. It can be made to think whatever we want… behave however we want… do whatever we want.”</p><p>“N-nn…”</p><p>He cut her off. “This is nothing new to us. We’ve done it before… we’re doing it as we speak,” he shrugged. “It’s expensive technology.” He paused again. “But what you’ve done for me is priceless.”</p><p>He sat back down on the chair, folding one leg on top of the other as he tapped the ash from his cigar down to the floor.</p><p> </p><p>“Your body is Silverhand’s. Your mind shall therefore be his too.”</p><p> </p><p>The chasm that V felt open up inside her was as wide as the cosmos.</p><p>Something clicked for her just then.</p><p>She remembered what Jackie said back at Konpeki Plaza.</p><p><em>This is some Divine Comedy shit</em>, he uttered in pain, leaning on the elevator wall, dying, as they made their escape. Caught up in the tumult of the failed heist, she didn’t have any time to ponder his words. She didn’t really know what the <em>Divine Comedy </em>was or who wrote it. Was it Aristotle? She wondered what the philosophising T-Bug would think of V’s current predicament. Or what Jackie would think, for that matter. No doubt Johnny would have some interesting things to say, too.</p><p>Regardless, she had just figured out Jackie’s meaning.</p><p>Which circle of Hell was she in now?<br/><br/></p><p>“B-bb-ut.. I.. g..ggot rid o-of.. the ch-chhh-..ip,” V stammered, still under the effects of all the pain medication.</p><p>Blue Eyes let out an unnerving chuckle. “I was speaking metaphorically, of course. You’ll still be you. You’ll just think, feel, and act like Silverhand. We’ve got plenty of material on him.”</p><p>“Mm..m-mmotherfucker.”</p><p>Blue Eyes sighed. “I’m afraid there’s no other option, V. Your body has to be tricked into keeping itself alive.”</p><p>She sinking feeling in her stomach gave way to anger. Frustration. Rage. She escaped death a couple of times. But it would seem she could not escape fate.</p><p>“Wh…who the f-ff..uck are you??” she asked, gritting her teeth in fury.</p><p>Blue Eyes stood up. “I had a feeling you wouldn’t be happy with our solution,” he muttered. “No matter. You won’t have any recollection of this conversation anyway.”</p><p>“Wh..what?”</p><p>He ran a hand over his head, slicking back his raven-black hair. “I suppose there’s no harm in telling you,” he shrugged. “You do remind me a lot of myself in my younger years.”</p><p>He straightened his suit. “I was at the top of my game, just as you are now. But I was oh <em>so</em> blind. The Major Leagues stretch further up than you could possibly imagine, you know.”</p><p>“And now, I’m almost at the very top.” He pulled a datashard from one of his pockets. It looked like the one V had just stolen from Arasaka’s casino.</p><p>“With your help, that climb will be easier now,” he smiled, as he shook the datashard at her. He then pocketed it.</p><p>“As to your question, I used to call myself Morgan Blackhand,” he reminisced. ”Though my days as a gun-toting solo sticking it to ‘The Man’ are long gone.”</p><p>He opened the door and ushered someone into the room. “We’re done here,” he said.</p><p>A nurse walked in and made her way towards the side of V’s bed. She then inserted a syringe into an IV tube.</p><p>“W-what’re you doin’?” V said to the nurse.</p><p>“Good luck V,” Blue Eyes called out. “I look forward to seeing how you’ll shake off the European Space Agency,” he chuckled.</p><p>“W-w..wait…”</p><p>Her vision started to blur again.</p><p>She heard Blue Eyes talking on the holo once more. His voice became distant. “Give me the sitrep on Peralez…”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Beep. Beep. Beep. </em>
</p><p>She could only hear the EKG as she began drifting off.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Judy…</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Beep. Beep. Beep. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Beep. Beep. Beep. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>...</em>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This chapter is almost as long as all the three previous ones combined! It was extremely challenging writing this. I hope you've enjoyed it.</p><p>Special thanks to Zepsor and Lace Black from Lizzie's Bar for helping me with the Japanese translations!</p><p>Stay tuned for more!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Déjà Vu</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Deliverance comes for both.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>V slowly opened her eyes.</p><p>Except she couldn’t really – it was extremely bright, wherever she was. She squinted and blinked rapidly, reflexively lifting an arm up to shield her eyes with her palm.</p><p>She then looked to her sides, still struggling to open her eyes amid the dazzling brightness. She noticed she was laid on the floor.</p><p>She slowly stood up. It wasn’t a struggle? No… her amputated leg was whole once more.</p><p>She placed her hands on it to make sure it was real; it seemingly was.</p><p>Even more confused and still squinting, she looked down at the floor to avert her eyes. It looked like she was indoors, but the floor was extremely odd. It was a shiny pristine white, reminiscent of ceramic tiling. Except there were no tiles – there were no visible seams. It was simply one giant, uninterrupted whiteness.</p><p>V shifted her gaze towards the distance. The floor stretched further and further away with no end in sight; there were no walls to be seen. She then plucked up the courage to look upwards, still squinting and covering her eyes. She noticed there was no roof, either. It was impossibly bright, as if it was high noon and the sun ballooned several orders of magnitude in diameter. Yet she couldn’t see it nor any other light source. She looked around in confusion. The sky was similarly just a never-ending diamond white.</p><p> </p><p>“HELLO?!” she shouted.</p><p>
  <em>Helloooo</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Hellooo</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Helloo</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Hello</em>
</p><p>Her voice echoed throughout the white landscape. Once the last vestige had disappeared, the chilling stillness settled in once more.</p><p>She picked a random direction and started walking. Still squinting, her eyes were slowly adjusting to the intense luminosity. She noticed herself pace with an odd gait. Though she’d lost her lower-right leg only recently, the feeling of her leg’s wholeness felt alien, as though she’d been an amputee her entire life.</p><p> </p><p>She felt like she’d been walking for a while. As far as she could tell, she’d made no progress whatsoever. With nothing else in sight, the whiteness still blanketed everything all the way to the horizon.</p><p>She felt a sense of dread. Her heart started beating rapidly.</p><p>She spun around every which way, looking for some sort of clue as to where she should be headed. She started running. Faster and faster, arms swinging to and fro, until she reached a sprint. Zooming to nowhere in particular, her rapid breathing was shallow and noisy. She could feel her heart thudding loudly against her chest, as if wanting to escape.</p><p>After a few minutes, she couldn’t keep her fast strides up any longer. She slowed down, gradually coming to a standstill. She was puffed out. She hunched down, bracing her upper body with her hands on her knees, panting frantically.</p><p>She looked around in every direction. She may as well have been stood in the same spot. The colourlessness was without end.</p><p>“HELLO?!” she hoarsely yelled once more, still out of breath.</p><p>Her echo was the only response that greeted her.</p><p>Heart beating furiously, she was in a panic now.</p><p>
  <em>Where the fuck am I?!</em>
</p><p>“HELLOOOOO?!?!”</p><p>“Quit fuckin’ yellin’!”</p><p>That voice, she recognised it.</p><p>She spun around.</p><p>Something contrasted with the everlasting white. Several yards away from her, two benches appeared out of nowhere, facing one another - one red and one black, with a red dining table placed in between. She recognised the sight; she’d been there so many times before – it was a booth plucked straight out of Tom’s Diner.</p><p>A figure was sat on the bench facing away from her. She could make out a mop of shaggy black hair. She took a moment or two to catch her breath, then started walking towards the booth. As she drew closer, she saw a cloud of smoke well out. The figure extended a cybernetic arm outward to ash a cigarette. Tiny particles dropped to the floor.</p><p>She approached the booth. The figure was unmistakable now. She couldn’t believe it.</p><p>“Well, you finally made it, V,” he said in a familiar low, slow cadence.</p><p> </p><p>“J-… Johnny?” she asked incredulously.</p><p> </p><p>Johnny Silverhand, the famous rockerboy, was wearing his usual raggedy ballistic vest and brown leather trousers. He had his burgundy-tinted aviators on, with his old dog tags hanging from his neck. He clutched the cigarette in his familiar silvery hand, the cybernetics stretching all the way up to his shoulder.</p><p>“Gonna stare like a gonk all day? Take a seat,” he said, scratching his unkempt beard.</p><p>Still dumbstruck with awe, she did as instructed, plopping herself down onto the opposite bench while never taking her eyes off him.</p><p>“Wh-… what’re you doin’ here?” she asked.</p><p>“Been waitin’,” he replied.</p><p>“How…? Mikoshi… I… I saw you go with Alt…” she said as she shook her head in disbelief.</p><p>“Fuck if I know,” he shrugged. “Woke up in this place... been wanderin’ a while. Spotted this booth, and just sat down.”</p><p>V looked around once more. It was still very bright. Aside from the booth, they were surrounded by the same white emptiness as before.</p><p>“Johnny… am I…” She let out a quick sigh. “Am I fuckin’ dead?”</p><p>She saw his brow crease under his shades. He didn’t answer immediately.</p><p>“’Member the last thing I told you?” he finally asked.</p><p>“Yeah… ‘never stop fightin’.’”</p><p>“And did you?”</p><p>V wanted to answer straight away, but hesitated for a moment. “Fuck, Johnny… Really gave it my best shot,” she replied as she rubbed the back of her neck.</p><p>“What’s the last thing you remember?” he asked with a quizzical look.</p><p>“Dunno, I fought these sentient samurai statutes ‘n-…”</p><p>“Woah, hold up. Sentient samurai statues?”</p><p>V nodded, then shrugged.</p><p>“Well, shit! Sounds like I missed out on the fun,” he grinned.</p><p>“Yeah…,” V nodded. “Then I lost half my leg befo-…”</p><p>“Wait, what?!” he exclaimed with a bemused expression. He lowered his head to look under table for a moment, before lifting it back up. “The fuck you been smokin’? Your legs’re just fine,” he said, mildly disappointed.</p><p>“I-… I dunno Johnny. I <em>did </em>slice it off, then I made it to a shuttle,” she continued.</p><p>His brow arched in surprise. “A shuttle? Like in space?”</p><p>“Yeah… robbed Arasaka’s casino in the Crystal Palace.”</p><p>He slammed his hands on the table. “Well, butter my fuckin’ ass and call me a scopbiscuit.” He slowly clapped with a big smile on his face. “Knew you had it in you.”</p><p>V rolled her eyes.</p><p>“What then?” he asked.</p><p>“Dunno, punched the coords to Earth and then passed out, I think,” V said.</p><p>He stared for a long moment at her before finally nodding and taking a drag on his cigarette. “Well, then you’re probably not dead,” he posited, letting out a puff of smoke.</p><p>Johnny then kicked back and put his feet up on the table, one over the other. “Did you get a drink named after yourself, just in case?” he asked.</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Why the fuck not? You’re one of the Afterlife’s best. Nobody’s gonna remember you now if you really are dead,” he said, shaking his head.</p><p>“Don’t give a shit about the fame anymore Johnny,” she said, as she shook her head. “As for the afterlife, this certainly feels like it,” she said, gesturing all around at the white void.</p><p>“You know I don’t believe in that bullshit, V. Once you’re done - you’re gone for good.” He paused for a moment. “But if I’m wrong, think you know just as well as I do there’s no happily-ever-after for people like us.”</p><p>“Been dead a long time, and yet here you are… again…” she nodded at him. “Think I should be so lucky?”</p><p>Johnny shrugged at her question.</p><p>V frowned at his lack of certainty – at the outlandishness of their current state of affairs, for that matter.</p><p>They sat in silence for a while.</p><p>“You’re not mad at me, then?” V asked.</p><p>He seemed surprised at the question. “What for?”</p><p>“Dunno. If I did kick the bucket after all, then… thought you’d maybe feel I wasted your chance at a second life. You’re the one who returned me to my body.”</p><p>“Nah, fuck that,” he said. “I’ve already lived my life, V. ‘Sides, if I robbed you of the chance at savin’ yours, I’d be no better than those corpo fucks.” He paused. “In fact, maybe you not going back isn’t such a bad thing after all,” he concluded.</p><p>“Why the fuck would you say that? V asked, furrowing her brow in anger.</p><p>“World’s a fuckin’ shitpit, V. Full of demons ‘n vipers,” he retorted.</p><p>“Uh-huh. Yet you still gave enough of a shit to fight,” she pointed out.</p><p>He nodded, taking another drag. “Me, Rogue, Spider Murphy, Shaitan, Santiago Aldecaldo, Thompson – we strapped ourselves in leather, chrome and iron, fightin’ for that sliver of beauty, fire burnin’ in our veins, not knowin’ what was good or true. I created music to make people feel the things I felt.”</p><p>He rubbed his temple, and let out a sigh. “But the world’s full of fuckin’ posers. Or maybe we didn’t reach enough people to make a difference. Maybe people’re just so used to gettin’ buttfucked by the corps they couldn’t possibly imagine any other world. In the end, nothin’ I did made a lick of difference. And I lost the people close to me, too.”</p><p>She knew of his troubles with Alt and Rogue. V then thought of her young techie, hoping she was still at the penthouse waiting for her.</p><p>“I know who you’re thinkin’ about,” Johnny said. “What was her name again? The one who makes you feel all mushy inside.”</p><p>“Judy…” V sighed.</p><p>Johnny nodded. “Yeah, her. I liked her.”</p><p>He briefly lowered his aviators to look at something in the distance behind V, before darting his eyes back to her. “Listen, V. Made plenty of mistakes in my life. Pushed some good people away. Could’ve done a lotta things differently.”</p><p>He took one final drag before flicking the cigarette away. He then took his feet off the table and got up from the booth. “If I could go back in time, I would still fight the good fight. The world makes me sick to my stomach. I’d rather feel disgusted at <em>it</em> than myself for not liftin’ a finger to try ‘n make a difference.”</p><p>“That’s cause you were born a rebel, Johnny,” V said.</p><p>He shook his head. “Rebels are made, V, not born. Made from the punches life throws at ‘em. The punches they take.”</p><p>“Why’re you tellin’ me all this now?” V asked.</p><p>“Because the world fucked me, V. It’s fucked you too. An’ it’s goin’ to keep fuckin’ you. There’s no runnin’ away from it,” he answered.</p><p>“Great. Not like it matters though. We’re stuck here.”</p><p>“Think again,” he said, as he nodded at something behind her.</p><p>She turned around to follow his gaze.</p><p>A sight somewhat more bizarre than the booth from Tom’s Diner, she could see a metallic single door was present about fifty yards away. It was shut, and its doorframe seemed to be supported by nothing but air.</p><p>“Let’s delta the fuck outta here,” said Johnny.</p><p>V couldn’t help but smile, despite the extremely bizarre circumstances. He used to say that every time V walked into a situation that was uncomfortable for him. Like that time Judy invited V to her apartment to discuss the takeover of Clouds – he implored the merc to just eat the free pizza and leave.</p><p>V stood up as well. She had her back to Johnny, looking straight at the door. She turned around to look at him, expecting him to have disappeared as he usually did. But he was still there, curiously looking at her. She felt slightly comforted by that.</p><p>“What’re you waitin’ for?” he asked.</p><p>“Dunno, just thought you’d be gone,” she said.</p><p>He walked up to her, and placed his organic hand on her shoulder. It felt warm to the touch. “Not this time, V,” he replied.</p><p>She slowly nodded, then turned around and made for the door.</p><p> </p><p>After walking in silence for a few minutes, they stopped in front of it. V circled it a couple of times, bewildered at the impossibility of it all. She tentatively pushed against the doorframe expecting it to topple over. But it didn’t budge in the slightest.</p><p>“Well, whaddya know. A magic door. Gonna open it, or what?” Johnny asked after a few moments.</p><p>V shot him a quick glance. He was looking around, seemingly frustrated at a lack of things to sit on or lean against as he was wont to do. V was slightly amused.</p><p>Turning back to face the door, she decided to finally open it.</p><p>The moment she began pushing it inward to reveal the other side, beams of light somehow brighter than the brightness of her current environs threatened to blind her. She had to once again cover her eyes as she fully opened the door. Averting her gaze, she could see Johnny doing the same, his shades clearly not fully up to the task.  </p><p>“Still think this isn’t gonna lead to heaven?” V asked him.</p><p>He scoffed. “I set off a fuckin’ nuke. Not even gonna mention the crazy shit you’ve done. What do you think?”</p><p>She shrugged.</p><p>V took a long look at the door, blocking the dazzling light as best she could. This looked like a way out. Still, she couldn’t help but hesitate. How often does one go through, what is for all intents and purposes, a portal to nothingness?</p><p>She turned back to Johnny, and gave him a doubtful look.</p><p>“Don’t worry V. I’ll be with you,” he smiled.</p><p>He did not do that often. She felt reassured.</p><p>V nodded, and turned around one final time to step through the doorway.</p><p>The blinding rays of pure white engulfed her.   </p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>V jolted up from the bed, dazed from the light she’d just passed through. She rubbed her eyes. Her head was being assaulted by a splitting headache.</p><p>She looked around. She was back in her penthouse - everything had been left exactly as she remembered. It was dark outside, and it was raining.</p><p>“Johnny?” she called out.</p><p>She looked around some more, expecting him to appear out of nowhere to quip some witty remark or other. But he never showed.</p><p>“Bastard,” she sighed.</p><p>Her head was pounding.</p><p>She wore the same neo-Kitsch clothes she had on before the heist. Her boot was still on her left leg. She almost didn’t spot it, thanks to the golden kneepads on her tiger print leggings.</p><p>Her lower-right leg was cybernetic, and golden-black.</p><p>Gold plates covered most of it, though in some places she could make out the black wires and dark metallic cyberware that made up the bulk of the leg. Her foot was human-shaped, with golden toes and toenails. She saw the sole of her foot was some sort of matte black metal, similar to the ceramic nanocomposite surfaces on her fingertips. The metal fused with skin underneath her kneecap, with traces of redness still visible on the flesh.</p><p>V moved her leg up and down. She seemed to be able to control it just fine. She then knocked on various places with a hand, but she couldn’t feel anything. She got up from the bed and stood up, taking the boot off her left foot. She paced around in a circle for a bit, observing the movement of her cybernetic leg.</p><p>Who installed this leg? And why was it golden? Why didn’t it hurt?</p><p>Shaking her head, she removed the half-torn golden leggings, and put on a simple pair of jeans that had been previously lying on the floor. She then headed towards the bathroom to wash her face.</p><p>After splashing it with copious amounts of cold water, she looked at herself in the mirror. Unlike the past few months, she looked surprisingly lively and well-rested. That was despite the ceaseless thudding currently emanating from within her skull.</p><p>Her reflection stared back at her. A ridiculously absurd thought crept inside her mind.</p><p>She had the faintest of impressions that she possessed an impressive cock.</p><p>Perturbed, she immediately placed both hands on her crotch. She breathed a sigh of relief – dumbstruck at believing such a gonk notion even for a split second. She shook her head, still staring at herself in the mirror. She left the bathroom.</p><p>Feeling her throat was parched, she headed downstairs to grab a drink.</p><p>V tried gathering her thoughts despite the severe migraine. As she explained to Johnny, the last thing she remembered was getting in the pit boss’s shuttle. How did she get back here?</p><p>Looking out the windows, she saw the neon glow of Night City’s skyline as she made her way down the stairs. V felt a vice slowly wrap around her at the sight, pressing down on her chest. She tried discarding the unsettling feeling away.  </p><p>Reaching the kitchen, she spotted a bottle of Centzon Especial tequila on one of the granite countertops. She grabbed it, unscrewed the cap, and started taking large gulps.</p><p>The living room television turned itself on. The famous financial analyst, John Kavorkin, was presenting one of his usual stock market forecasts. Somewhat startled, she turned to face the screen and walker closer towards it.</p><p>
  <em>… is a truly remarkable feat how, despite the past two quarters, the Japanese conglomerate has successfully bounced back from several major incidents, including an assault, a major data breach, and a heist at its most prestigious space venue. </em>
</p><p>She knew what he was talking about. V kept chugging down the bottle, swelling with anger.</p><p>
  <em>Though the ‘Secure Your Soul’ program was a major bust – it wasn’t the only proverbial basket Arasaka put their eggs in, ha-ha!</em>
</p><p>The show’s host laughed at his own joke before continuing the report.</p><p>
  <em>Thanks to the late Saburo Arasaka’s deft negotiations, continued under his son and heir Yorinobu Arasaka, over the past few years the corporation has managed to secure deals with most of the world’s major nations, as well as with MegaCorps such as Petrochem, SovOil, EBM, IEC, Kang Tao, Biotechnica, Orbital Air, and even their arch-rival Militech! Let’s take a closer look at the patented fusion cores they’ve been rolling out for a while now…</em>
</p><p>Hearing all those corps pushed her over the edge as anger permeated every fibre of her being. With a frustrated yell, she threw the nearly-empty bottle at the television. The images on the screen turned to black as the television cracked. The bottle shattered into a million pieces.</p><p>Her cheeks were hot and ruddy. She had to take a few deep breaths to calm down. But they didn’t help all that much in the end.</p><p>She felt slightly unnerved by her rage. She had always disliked corporations, and naturally had a bone to pick with Arasaka for her troubles. But she couldn’t recall ever feeling this incensed. Her headache did not let up one bit.</p><p>V caught sight of the pack of smokes on the coffee table. She grabbed a cig and lit it, taking a long drag on it. She exhaled, and watched as the cloud of smoke slowly dissipated. She found it steadied her nerves.</p><p>The pitter-patter of rain was constant. She looked out the window towards the nightscape. Every second she looked, she felt the same vice grip her chest tighter and tighter. She had to jerk her head away, facing the inside of the living room.</p><p>Her gaze settled on the Bumper half-stack guitar amp in the corner. She felt inexplicably drawn to it. A Tenzor Paradize six-string electric guitar was propped against the amplifier’s speaker. Even though V couldn’t play, they were gifts from Kerry Eurodyne, the famous rockerboy and former Samurai bandmember - as thanks for helping reunite the band a while ago.</p><p>She moved towards the amp and picked up the guitar, sitting down on a chair close by. Though she’d never played guitar in her life, she felt like she’d been reacquainted with an old friend. She rested the guitar body on her right leg, and traced her fingers up and down the fretboard. She strummed the strings. The overdrive was off; it was a clean sound, but it wasn’t quite right. A few of the strings were out of tune. How did she know that?</p><p>She gently strummed each string individually, tightening the keys on the headstock as required, until she was satisfied each note was spot on. She confounded herself with her newly-acquired ability, but decided she was going to try playing a song anyway.</p><p>She decided she’d play <em>Night City </em>by Artemis Delta. A bit ironic, given her distaste of the city. She hummed the lyrics in her head.</p><p>“<em>Good morning Night City,<br/>A day in the life.<br/>I was on my own,<br/>Catching a ride,<br/>Leather jacket zipped up tight.”</em></p><p>Her fingers danced around the fretboard effortlessly, picking and strumming the strings, playing each chord perfectly; loud and in tempo.</p><p>
  <em>“She pulls my trigger, got me up all night,<br/>It’s a danger pretty here in Night City,<br/>Here in Night City,<br/>Got me up all night,<br/>Here in Night City.”</em>
</p><p>But V just recalled something.</p><p>
  <em>Wait…  Danger pretty?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>...</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Judy...</em>
</p><p>V put down the guitar immediately, thinking nothing of the first time she’d played a guitar - the effortless way she’d just played the song.</p><p>
  <em>What the fuck?!</em>
</p><p>She was furious with herself now. How could she possibly have forgotten? The reason for all of this?</p><p>She got her phone out and scrolled down to Judy’s contact page. While she was flicking through, she noticed Mr. Blue Eyes’ details were gone. She paid it no mind, and reached Judy’s adorable little ghost coming out of a seashell. It happily greeted her.</p><p>163 unread messages, 47 missed calls, 21 voicemails.</p><p>And those were just from Judy. She saw hundreds more from other people she knew – Panam, Vik, Misty, Mitch, Mama Welles, Kerry, River, Joss, Barry, a few of the fixers…</p><p>V started panicking. She rapidly scrolled through the messages Judy’d left. They were spaced across weeks… no - months. Her heart sank.</p><p>Her migraine was still unrelenting.</p><p>How long had she been gone for?</p><p>V tried phoning Judy. Just as soon as she’d pressed the button, the call was immediately cancelled, with a popup appearing on the phone’s screen.</p><p>
  <em>[Unknown numbers may not contact this person.]</em>
</p><p>“Fuck! I didn’t change my number?!” V yelled.</p><p>She tried phoning her again.</p><p>
  <em>[Unknown numbers may not contact this person.]</em>
</p><p>Confused, V decided to scroll all the way down to the last message she’d received. She didn’t think her heart could sink any further. But it did.</p><p>
  <em>No…</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>[You have been deleted from Judy Alvarez’s contacts.]</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>No… Jude. </em>
</p><p>Shoulders drooped, she leaned forward in her chain, resting her head on one hand. She stared at her screen.</p><p>“Why, Judy…?” she asked the happy little ghost, shaking her head.</p><p>It did not answer her.</p><p>She scrolled back up, and started reading every single message Judy had sent her.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Jude</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[V, please tell me youre alright]<br/>[Please call me as soon as you see this]<br/>[V pick up!!!]<br/><em>[Please!!!]</em></em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>V’s breathing was shallow. A knot had formed in her throat.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>Jude</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Im sorry for leaving, I shouldve waited for you]<br/>[Im in oregon, please come…]</em>
</p><p>
  <em>…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>[Please let me know you’re out there]</em>
</p><p>
  <em>…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>[I need to hear your voice…]</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>The recordings were infinitely harder to process. Hearing her trembling voice, seeing the tears from her puffy red eyes race down her flushed cheeks.</p><p>
  <em>V… I, please… Please let me know you’re still there. </em>
</p><p>She had to bite her lip. The more she listened, the harder she had to dig in. Teardrops began spattering the phone’s screen.</p><p>
  <em>I need to know you’re alive, V. </em>
</p><p>The tightness she felt in her chest became unbearable. The vice kept constricting.</p><p>
  <em>I’m in New Ashland, in Oregon. If you get this, V… Please… </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Come back to me.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Quick breaths. She felt devastated. Her head was killing her.</p><p>“I’m so fuckin’ sorry Jude,” she said with a sniffle.</p><p>She got up from the chair. She was going to call Delamain, and hop on an AV to head over there immediately, wherever it was.</p><p>But she winced in pain. Her paces were unsteady. She had to brace herself on the penthouse’s conference table.</p><p>The raging inferno inside her skull. The enormous weight on her chest. The gigantic void in her gut.</p><p>It was too much.</p><p> </p><p>V collapsed on the floor.</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The janitor’s office had long gone to rack and ruin.</p><p> </p><p>A portion of the ceiling had collapsed, exposing the classroom above. A thick layer of dust blanketed every possible surface, while old cobwebs decorated the room.</p><p>Judy was cold. She kept rubbing her arms to warm herself up.</p><p>After abducting her, the Interpol agents had turned the SUV around and made for the desolate town of Grants Pass. Most of it was destroyed during the last war, and was completely abandoned shortly after. The school was relatively intact, so the huscles decided to set up shop there. She had no idea how they’d managed to get the power back on.</p><p>She sat behind the old desk. It was messy. Bits of plaster had fallen from the ceiling, mixing with sheets of old paperwork, cigarette butts, and several books. It would seem whoever was the school’s janitor was a big fan of <em>The Hexer </em>series. Judy was familiar with it, but had never read any of the books. She spotted <em>The Final Desire</em>, <em>Blade of Fate</em> and <em>Dame of the Loch</em>.</p><p>She had been locked inside for several hours. She was afraid.</p><p>Why did they stop here? Who were they waiting for? What were they going to do to her? She thought of her grandparents, and how they must be worried sick. If she got out of here, she was going to make Cooke pay for hurting <em>nono</em>.</p><p>She knew what Interpol was, or what it was supposed to be – “The International Police Force” of the world. Except, Interpol had never really caught on in North America, and after the Collapse nearly a century ago, their presence became non-existent. Judy was pretty sure they had no right to operate in Oregon. They were just another private interest group masquerading as an authority.</p><p>Judy sat in silence for a while longer.</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, someone started fumbling with the old lock on the entrance to the office. The door opened, and two agents stepped inside. One of them she recognised – it was the one who hit her. The other one was a new face; their backup seemed to have arrived sooner than she’d thought. Her eyes darted between them as they stopped in front of her desk.</p><p>“Agent Clouseau, Directorate I-1: Counter-Terrorism,” the new man introduced himself. He was slightly less bulky than his counterpart, but still imposing nonetheless. He then gesture to the huscle who hit her. “Agent Dietrich, I-5: Orbital Control."</p><p>Judy didn’t say anything, only giving them both the death stare.</p><p>The agent held his hands behind his back. “As you might have heard, a few months ago one of the stations belonging to the European Space Agency suffered a terrorist attack, destroying the entirety of one of the ring habitats.”</p><p>“Told you, got nothin’ to do with me,” Judy said in a low voice, gaze fixed on him.</p><p>The agent ignored her remark. “Finding those who were responsible for the attack had proven challenging, thanks to the decentralised nature of the station’s security systems. Most of the footage from the attack had been lost in the explosion.”</p><p>He paused to stare at her. “However, we have recently determined the identity of the one who had set off the chain reaction that lead to trillions of Eurodollars’ worth of destruction. The Night City mercenary known as ‘V’ - affiliated with the infamous Afterlife nightclub.”</p><p>“Why don’t you go ask them about her instead?” Judy’s tone was as cold as ice.</p><p>The two agents looked at each other, as if she’d just asked a silly question. Clouseau shifted his gaze back to her. “We know you are closely associated with her.”</p><p>“Had nothing to do with the station,” she repeated.</p><p>“You are lying.”</p><p>Judy scoffed. “You gonna beat me up ‘till I tell you what you wanna hear, holmes?”</p><p>“No, we will avoid such unpleasantness.”</p><p>Clouseau nodded at his colleague. In a flash, Dietrich produced a pistol from inside his suit. He aimed it at Judy.</p><p>Her heart was racing again. “The fuck?!” she called out.</p><p>Clouseau moved towards her. “I had hoped you would be forthcoming,” he growled, patience clearly worn thin.</p><p>He pulled out his Personal Link from his wrist. “Do not move,” he warned.</p><p>Judy wheeled herself away from him on the chair. “Fuck off!” she yelled.</p><p>He lunged at her, and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her head to the side. He plugged the link into her neural port. His eyes started glowing a deep red.</p><p>She could feel the intrusion inside her mind as he combed through the deepest depths of her psyche.</p><p>“You will tell me the truth,” he commanded. “Where is the mercenary known as ‘V’?”</p><p>She heard a million tiny voices inside her mind whisper to her from all directions.</p><p>
  <em>Tell the truth. Tell him. Don’t lie. You will regret it. Tell him!</em>
</p><p>“I don’t know!” she answered, still struggling against his grip.</p><p>“<em>C’est vrai</em>” (It’s true), Clouseau told his colleague.</p><p>“Do you believe she is dead?” he asked Judy menacingly.</p><p>She didn’t want to say it. But deep down she believed it, and she wanted the voices out of her head. “Yes!” she squealed. Her eyes were welling up.  </p><p>“<em>Vrai</em>” (True), he said to the other agent once more.</p><p>The agent looked at her. He saw the muscles in her jaw tense as she gritted her teeth. “If she were alive, do you believe she would come for you?” he asked.</p><p>Judy paused for a moment. He was still holding on to her green-pink hair. She felt the tears stream down her cheeks. She wanted this to stop – the voices to go away. “Yes…” she replied.</p><p>He stared at her, eyes red as hot coals. He said nothing for a while, but then slowly nodded his head. He disconnected his Personal Link, and let go of Judy’s hair. He turned to the other agent.</p><p>“<em>C'est la verité.</em>” (It’s the truth).</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She could hear a boxing match.</p><p> </p><p>V slowly opened her eyes. It was a blur, at first, but the dim, red glow of the room was unmistakable. She rubbed her eyes, and looked to her left.</p><p>She saw her trusty ripperdoc Viktor Vector sat on a stool. He had his elbow on his desk, intently watching the same old rerun of Malone vs. Hernandez on a small television.</p><p>“Viky?” she called out.</p><p>Viktor immediately shut the screen off, then swivelled around to face her. He wheeled his stool over to her, stopping right next to the examination chair she was sat on. “Damn, kid. You sure are full of surprises,” he said with a warm smile, husky voice ringing throughout the clinic.</p><p>Dr. Vector obscured some of the grizzled features of his face underneath his trusty pair of wayfarer shades. He wore his trademark “K” earring on his right lobe, and “O” on his left, which never failed to amuse V. He wore a dark green shirt that day, with sleeves rolled up. His stethoscope was slung around his neck. He had let his beard grow a bit.</p><p>“Vik… how’d I get here?” she asked, rubbing her temple. Her headache had let up slightly, but wasn’t completely gone.</p><p>“Trauma Team dropped you on my doorstep last night just as I was about to lock up,” he answered.</p><p>Of course. She’d gotten platinum coverage, with the special instruction of having her dropped off at Vik’s clinic if she ever got picked up. But she thought Arasaka would’ve put out an all-points bulletin to have her captured.</p><p>“You’re perfectly fine though,” he said. “They told me you’d collapsed, but… your BioMon didn’t report anythin’ wrong. Was all A-OK,”</p><p>He ran a hand through his jet-black hair. He was due a visit to the barber’s, as his crew cut was longer than she’d remembered “I’ve ran a couple of tests myself,” he continued. “And nothing. You seem to be the picture of health; fit as a fiddle,” he said. “Except for one thing…”</p><p>She knew what he meant. The leg. She looked down, noticing Vik had put a pair of trainers on her feet as she was previously barefoot. Must be Misty’s.</p><p>“Ugh… How long have I been out?” V asked.</p><p>“Since last night. It’s just past noon, now,” he said.</p><p>“Been here this whole time?”</p><p>“Yep.”</p><p>“Shit…” she said, rubbing the back of her neck.</p><p>They sat in silence for a bit.</p><p>“You wanna explain the golden leg?” Viktor finally asked.</p><p>“I… can’t,” V admitted.</p><p>The ripperdoc sighed. “Don’t know what to make of all this, V, given your condition the last time I’d seen you,” he said, pursing his lips.</p><p>He angled his head away from her for a moment. “Speaking of…” he paused to sigh. “… where the hell have you been, V?” he sternly said, looking back at her.</p><p>V shook her head, confusion visible on her face. “I… I dunno, Vik... I dunno.”</p><p>“You’re scarin’ me again kid… like with the chip. What the hell happened? That heist you went on? The Crystal Palace? Misty and I saw the media vids.”</p><p>“Shit, Viktor. I’m sorry… I… yeah. I remember explosions. But then I hopped on a shuttle, and passed out…”</p><p>“Knew that blue-eyed fucker spelled trouble,” he said.</p><p>“He… gave me the codes to enter the station, and that was the last I’d heard from him. Don’t have his details on my phone anymore.”</p><p>She saw that same concerned look on Viktor’s face. The one he gave her when he first diagnosed the condition with the Relic.</p><p>“How… how long have I been gone, Vik?” V asked.</p><p>He huffed out a small sigh, lowering his head to scratch an eyebrow. It was as if he was prepping himself to give a painful answer. “You’ve been gone about three months, kid,” he said.</p><p>It was painful to hear indeed.</p><p>“Fuck…”</p><p>“Yeah. And you’re tellin’ me you can’t account for any of it?” he asked.</p><p>“No…”</p><p>Silence swept across the room as they were both lost in thought. A few minutes passed. Something clawed at V.</p><p>“Got anythin’ to drink? Throat’s dry as hell,” she said suddenly.</p><p>“What, like a NiCola?” he asked.</p><p>“Nah, somethin’ stronger,” she said.</p><p>“Uhh… got some old hooch layin’ around somewhere.”</p><p>He got up and looked around his clinic, rummaging through various things. Hidden among some paperwork, and a pair of old boxing gloves, he produced a large metallic flask. He walked back to V, and passed it over to her.</p><p>She unscrewed the cap and took a quick whiff. It smelled rank. But she drank it anyway – guzzled it, in fact. As she was gulping it down, she could taste the pure ethanol burning her insides. She finished the flask, and handed it back to the ripperdoc. He seemed ill at ease.</p><p>“Since when do you drink like a fish? I can only manage a few gulps of that at a time” he said, as he put the flask away.</p><p>“Was really thirsty,” V shrugged.</p><p>Viktor sighed. Another moment of silence</p><p>“Are you ever gonna stay outta trouble, kid?” he asked.</p><p>“Fuck, Viktor. Get off my back, will ya?” she said, suddenly inflamed.</p><p>“You think I want any of this shit?” she continued. “I’d fucked up… big time, y’know, when you pulled that bullet outta my head. Been payin’ the price ever since. Been tryin’ to unfuck things. You think it’s a walk in the park? It’s not. It hasn’t been.”</p><p>She stopped to compose herself, breathing out a deep sigh. “Anyway… somethin’s not right…” she said.</p><p>“What isn’t?” he asked.</p><p>“Somethin’ feels off… ‘n I dunno what,” she replied.</p><p>“What’s it feel like? Describe the symptoms to me,” the old ripperdoc said, as he straightened up.</p><p>“Feels like… like I’ve got a giant boulder crushin’ me,” she said, giving him a blank look. “Feels like I wanna scream at the top of my lungs… knowin’ it wouldn’t make a difference.”</p><p>He slowly nodded. “Tests came up with nothin’, V. But we can run another one if you want,” he said.</p><p>“Nah. It’s just…”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Another heist gone bad… more fuckery’s goin’ on that I’ve no clue of…” she shook her head once again.</p><p>“Feels like… uh, what’s that term…?” she furrowed her brow in thought.</p><p>“Déjà vu?”</p><p>“Yeah…”</p><p>They sat in silence for a while longer.</p><p>V turned to Viktor once more. He was still staring off into space. “Hey, I gotta go Vik,” she said as she got up from the examination chair.</p><p>“Where to?” he nodded.</p><p>“Uhh… Oregon,” she answered.</p><p>“What on Earth for?”</p><p>“Gotta get back to someone important to me. Make amends,” she said.</p><p>He nodded. “Alright, V. Just… take care you hear? Find out what happened,” he said.</p><p>“’Course, Vik. Thanks again… yeah…”</p><p>“Déjà vu,” he said, with a sad smile. “Good to see you, kid.”</p><p>“You too, Vik,” she said.</p><p> </p><p>She went through the gate that lead out of Viktor’s clinic and took the stairs up to the back alley behind Misty’s Esoterica. She stepped inside. V saw Misty stood behind the counter, shuffling some tarot cards.</p><p>“Hey, Misty,” V called out.</p><p>The Esoterica’s owner turned her head and smiled at V. She dropped the cards onto the counter, and walked towards V to give her a big hug.</p><p>Viktor Vector and Misty Olszewski were a dynamic duo – if the old ripper tended to physical wounds, then the spiritual was Misty’s domain.</p><p>“We were so worried about you V,” Misty said, still holding her tight.</p><p>V could feel her head get absorbed By Misty’s big, bushy bob. Strands of dirty blonde hair covered V’s eyes. She could also feel the spikes from Misty’s choker poke at her.</p><p>“Sorry, Misty. Got held up,” V said.</p><p>“For months?” Misty asked, letting go of the merc.</p><p>“I dunno where I’ve been. Got no memory of any of ‘em.”</p><p>Misty frowned and nodded, clasping her hands together and holding them at her waist. “I’m glad you’re alright now."</p><p>“Yeah, me too,” said V.</p><p>“You’ve been through a lot, V… but…” she paused, tilting her head downward. She then looked back up at V. “I think the universe has one final challenge in store for you.”</p><p>“How’d you work that out?”</p><p>“I took your tarot reading before you left for the space station… Just… never got the chance to tell you.”</p><p>V never took her tarot readings too seriously. But the merc was out of answers, and she was willing to hear anything at that point.</p><p>V nodded. “Alright, what cards did you draw?”</p><p>There was a gleam in Misty’s eye. She was happy V took such an interest for a change.</p><p>“First one... The Lovers. A special person has empowered you with confidence and strength. If you protect them and treasure them well, you will find eternal happiness in this wonderful union.”</p><p>V thought of Judy. She had to get back to her, and soon.</p><p>“The Chariot… reversed,” Misty gravely said. “Be very careful, V. You are struggling with a lack of control and direction. You cannot let anger consume you… you must find the willpower to take charge of your life.”</p><p>V didn’t understand what she meant, but slowly nodded. “Third one?”</p><p>“The Tower,” Misty said. “It heralds change in the most radical sense, for you and those around you. Change isn’t good or bad… it’s relative… a matter of perspective. But once the tower falls... nothing will ever be the same again.”</p><p>Misty’s ominous words were unsettling.</p><p>She'd gone silent, which caused V to knit her brow in confusion. “There’s four cards, right?” the merc asked.</p><p>Misty nodded. “Last one was The Sun.”</p><p>V raised an eyebrow. “What’s it mean?”</p><p>“Success,” Misty replied, smiling. “You will continue enjoying success, provided you stay strong.”</p><p>V sighed. “Been eatin’ a lotta shit lately Misty. I’m tryin’, really am,” she said.</p><p>“I know, V. Anyone else would’ve just… given up… keeled over. Long ago,” Misty smiled.</p><p>V pursed her lips. “You been holdin’ up alright? Mama Welles doin’ ok?” she asked her.</p><p>“Yeah, I’m fine V. She’s doing alright too. Invites me to dinner every week. She’s been worried sick about you, by the way.”</p><p>V's cheeks dimpled into a smile. She was glad she’d managed to convince Jackie’s mother to warm up to her.</p><p>“I know, I’ll make it up to her. But I gotta go now. See you around Misty. Thanks for the readin’.”</p><p>Misty nodded. “Stay safe, V.”</p><p>The merc turned to exit the Esoterica through the front door.  </p><p> </p><p>She stepped outside to one of the streets that lead into Little China. Passers-by went about their business as street food merchants shouted from their stalls, beckoning those who would listen to come and sample their delicacies.</p><p>V summoned her vehicle with her key fob. Her Quadra Type-66 Avenger was probably still at her penthouse garage, so it would take a few minutes for the autonomous AI to make its way to her.</p><p>Misty’s portentous reading caused an amalgam of thoughts to invade V’s mind - it did not help with her mild headache in the slightest. She couldn’t shake the feeling something was wrong.</p><p>She got on the holo. It rang briefly before the call was picked up.</p><p>“V? The hell… am I havin’ a bad trip?” Nix asked. He looked befuddled, squinting his eyes to make sure they weren’t deceiving him.</p><p>“Not this time Nix,” V replied with a grin.</p><p>“How do I know it’s really you, and not one of ‘em deepfakes?” he asked.</p><p>“Nix, cut the crap. Need you to locate someone for me,” V said.</p><p>“V, if that’s really you… listen. You’ve been gone for months. We lost contact with your shuttle after you re-entered the atmosphere. We saw you crash in a bay near Mexico. How the fuck are you still breathin’? Where’ve you been?”</p><p>“I don’t fuckin’ know, alright?! Just… one thing at a time, Nix. Do this for me, please. Zippin’ you her detes,” she said, as she transferred Judy’s contact details to Nix.</p><p>Nix said nothing for a few moments, then sighed, shaking his head.</p><p>“Alright, V. But we need to fuckin’ talk about this shit. Weyland’s been runnin’ things… in a manner of speaking. Decided to shut the club down and lay low.”</p><p>“That’s fine, we’ll hash it out later,” V said.</p><p>“Fine…” came the response.</p><p>V could see him tap on a screen.</p><p>“Judy Alvarez…” he said. “Hackin’ into Trauma Team’s database, see if she’s in there… Nope. Had bronze coverage at some point, expired a few years ago.”</p><p>V was kicking herself for not getting Judy platinum coverage as well. She didn’t think she needed it, nor that she would want it for that matter.</p><p>“Checking holo activity… some chatter from the southern part of Oregon,” he said, still tapping away.</p><p>“Can you get a message to her?” asked V.</p><p>A few moments of silence. “Huh… no…” he finally said, raising his brow in surprise.</p><p>“That because she’s not allowing unknown contacts?”</p><p>“Nah, could easily bypass that. It’s just… there’s interference,” he said, narrowing his eyes at the screen.</p><p>“What d’you mean?” V asked, slightly concerned.</p><p>“It’s like the signal’s bein’ jammed,” Nix concluded.</p><p>“What?!” V yelled in surprise, taking some of the people in the crowd next to her by surprise.</p><p>“She said she’s in New Ashland,” V said.</p><p>“Trackin’ the signal right now…” he announced, intently focused on the screen. “She’s in or near the vicinity of a place called Grants Pass. Pullin’ up the detes… Huh… says here the town’s supposed to be abandoned.”</p><p>What on Earth was Judy up to?</p><p>“Can you get eyes on the place, Nix?”</p><p>“Can’t. Surveillance and all that jazz ‘ve been down for years,” he shrugged.</p><p>“Nix… it’s really important. She could be in trouble,” V said.</p><p>“What kinda trouble?”</p><p>“My kind, Nix… fuck.”</p><p>Nix paused.</p><p>“Well, shit,” he said eventually. “Gimme a few minutes. Gonna have to pull a few strings.”</p><p>“Where’s Weyland?” V asked.</p><p>“’Round here somewhere. Been itchin’ for some action since he’d closed things down,” Nix said.</p><p>V could hear the roar of the Avenger’s V-12 twin-turbocharged engine. The silvery sheen of her muscle car came into view as its autonomous AI stopped the car at the end of the street. Bystanders gawked at it, some even approaching it to admire and take pictures.</p><p>“Tell him to gear up and me on the rooftop in fifteen. Get me some iron, too.”</p><p>“You got it…” Nix said.</p><p>She got off the holo, and walked towards her car. She shooed away the onlookers and got inside, car humming and beeping as it greeted its owner.</p><p>She got on the holo again, and drove off towards the Afterlife.</p><p>“Good afternoon, Miss V,” came Delamain’s buttery-smooth synthesised voice. “Good to see you’re back in Night City.”</p><p>“Del, I need an AV to pick me up at the Afterlife’s rooftop, stat. Give me ‘Excelsior,’” she said.</p><p>“I do apologise, Miss V. We do not offer the Excelsior service on our aerial vehicles,” Delamain apologised.</p><p>“What’s the fuckin’ equivalent, then?” she asked.</p><p>“Our highest-tier package includes a Militech Strix tactical bomber craft, featuring both guided air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, as well as twin 30mm rapid-firing rotary autocannons,” he stated. “I am pleased to inform you we have one such aerial vehicle currently available.”</p><p>“Get me that package, whatever it’s called.”</p><p>“Exterminatus,” he happily announced.</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The elevator reached the roof of the building the Afterlife was in.</p><p>As the elevator doors opened, she saw the Jamaican merc sat on an overturned metal bucket. Two guns were leaned up against the wall next to him. He was on the holo to someone.</p><p>“… bumboclattin’ engine in that car used to choke harder than my chain-smoking uncle, mon!” Weyland exclaimed, as he spotted V approach. “Listen, I gotta go.” He hung up.</p><p>“Ey, bosslady! Wah gwaan?” he called out to V.</p><p>“Hey, Squama,” she said, stepping out and approaching him.</p><p>“Blurtneet, V. We saw you on the map. You crashed in deep water. We thought you’d be swimmin’ with the fishies, mon,” he said, shaking his head.</p><p>“Blue Eyes contact you?” she asked.</p><p>“Nah, mon. He transferred us the scratch, and we’ve not heard from him since,” he answered.</p><p>“Fuck… Don’t have his details anymore.”</p><p>“How’s that possible?” Squama asked.</p><p>V shrugged. “Last thing I remember ‘s hoppin’ into the shuttle.”</p><p>Weyland laughed. “Amnesia, mon? Someone passed me a kutchie once, and I took a puff. My face felt funny. When I woke up, I had somehow lost two weeks.”</p><p>V let out a small huff in amusement. “The fuck did you smoke?”</p><p>Weyland shrugged, still giggling.</p><p>They listened in silence to the distant urban din for a moment.</p><p>“So, what’s the mission?” he asked.</p><p>“Don’t know yet.”</p><p>Suddenly, they both received a call through the holo; they both picked it up simultaneously. It was the netrunner.</p><p>“What’s the sich, Nix?” asked V.</p><p>“Had to move mountains for this but… you’ve done alright by us, V,” Nix announced.  “Pulled some satellite images from the past hour. Zippin’ them to you now.”</p><p>She saw the top-down terrain imagery of Grants Pass appear in her field of view. The images zoomed in, revealing a lit-up building in the middle of the abandoned town. Black dots of various sizes moved around the perimeter.</p><p>“What’re we lookin’ at?”</p><p>“Heavily-armed personnel. Griffin and Octant-class military drones.”</p><p>
  <em>No…</em>
</p><p>Judy was in serious trouble.</p><p>“Fuck!” V yelled out.</p><p>“Yup,” Nix said. “She’s under serious guard.”</p><p>“Just as well I got some serious firepower,” V said, running a hand through her hair.</p><p> </p><p>As if on cue, the Delamain-branded Strix tactical bomber AV appeared, stopping at the edge of the rooftop. The doors slid open automatically. The humming of the four jet-booster engines was deafening.</p><p>“Rhaatid!” Weyland yelled out in surprise. He got up from his bucket.</p><p>He turned to V. “Do I gotta be the rasshole pilot again, mon?!” he shouted.</p><p>“Not this time!” she shouted back.</p><p>Grinning, he let out a fist pump. He then turned to the two guns next to him. With his right hand he carried his favourite M2067 Defender light machine gun; with his left hand, he picked up the D5 Copperhead assault rifle, and extended it towards V to hand it over.</p><p>V picked it up from him, and inspected it.</p><p>“Ammo?!” she yelled.</p><p>He nodded, and picked up a tactical vest that was next to his bucket, tossing it to her. She caught it, and put it on. She quickly checked the pouches; they were full of ammo clips and some grenades.</p><p>“Let’s go!” she instructed with a nod.</p><p>They hopped inside the AV, and sat down on seats facing each other as the doors closed. The tactical bomber set off for its destination.</p><p> </p><p>The interior was a bit more modest than the ultra-luxurious Rayfield Excalibur. But owing to the Delamain touch-up, the tactical bomber was not as spartan as if it came straight off the factory line.</p><p>A mounted LMG was tucked in a corner next to the sliding side-door. Weyland kept eyeing it intently.</p><p>The constant low hum from the thrusters was interrupted as Delamain suddenly spoke.</p><p>“We will arrive at our destination in approximately two hours,” he announced.</p><p>“Good, should be dark by then,” V said.</p><p>“If I may deign to ask, what sort of resistance do you expect to encounter?” Delamain inquired.</p><p>“Here, take a look.” V sent Delamain the feed she’d received from Nix.</p><p>“I see,” he replied immediately. “I am confident that a positive outcome can be achieved by our combined force of arms,” he proclaimed.</p><p>Weyland took out a smoke from a pack in one of his pockets, and began to light it.</p><p>“Hey, pass me one, will ya?” asked V.</p><p>Weyland nodded, and did as instructed, lighting her cig up as well.</p><p>“Regrettably, for safety reasons we do not allow smoking in our tactical bomber vehicles. Please extinguish your cigarettes,” said Delamain.</p><p>“Ey, don’t be gettin’ your panties in a twist Delamain, mon,” Weyland said. “Dela-mon,” he corrected himself, laughing.</p><p>“C’mon Del, lay off,” said V.</p><p>The AI did not respond for a while.</p><p>“Very well,” he finally relented. “These are exceptional circumstances, and you have been a very good client, Miss V.”</p><p>Weyland scratched his head.</p><p>“Alright, bosslady,” said Weyland. “What’s the plan?”</p><p>V considered his question. She put the cig to her mouth and inhaled.</p><p>“Plan…? Fuck plans. They always go tits-up. We go in there, zero those fuckers, and get Judy out,” she said, blowing a cloud of smoke.</p><p>Weyland let out a psyched clap. “Haha, ya mon!” he whooped.</p><p>“Who’s this Judy then?” he asked shortly after.</p><p>V looked him dead in the eye and clenched her jaw.</p><p>“She’s the reason I’m still around.”</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>They sat in silence most of the way, with Weyland occasionally expressing his excitement at the opportunity to shoot something.</p><p>“We will be arriving momentarily,” Delamain announced.</p><p>V got up from her seat.</p><p>“I’ll drop down, you stay up here and cover me for a bit. Distract ‘em,” she said, pointing at the mounted LMG.</p><p>A big grin formed on Weyland’s face.</p><p>“You got it, bosslady!” he exclaimed. He got up, and opened the side-door, moving the LMG’s mount into place. He made sure the ammunition belt was loaded.</p><p>V leaned out the side door to look ahead; it was almost dark. She could see Grants Pass in the distance, with the school being lit up in the middle. The town was fairly small, with no building seemingly having more than two floors.</p><p>A siren blared from within the AV, with a red flashing light.</p><p>“It appears we have been spotted. They have a lock on the aircraft,” said Delamain, calmly.</p><p>“By what, Dela-mon?” Weyland asked.</p><p>“Four Octant-class military drones,” the AI replied.</p><p>“Slow down a bit so I can drop down closer to town,” V said.</p><p>“At this height, you will likely die, Miss V. It would be best to wait until the drones have been dispatched before setting down,” said Delamain.</p><p>“Got no time for that. Fortified ankles ‘ll do me fine.”</p><p>“Very well, I will notify you in a moment.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Fwoop fwoop fwoop fwoop fwoop fwoop fwoop</em>
</p><p>The twilit sky briefly shot up in brightness as Delamain fired a salvo of missles at the incoming drones.</p><p>V could see the school more clearly. They just passed the edge of town.</p><p>“Now would be a good time to jump,” declared Delamain.</p><p>“Alright… give ‘em hell,” V said.</p><p>“Better believe it, mon!” said Weyland, as he cocked the LMG.</p><p>V grabbed the assault rifle, and jumped.</p><p> </p><p>She looked down. The ground approached her at breakneck speed.</p><p>She landed with a loud thud in the middle of a basketball court. A small crater formed around her.</p><p>
  <em>BOOM boom boom BOOM boom</em>
</p><p>She heard explosions in the distance. Muzzle flashes lit up as she heard gunshots. She could make out Weyland screaming in excitement as he unloaded his LMG with a constant <em>rat-tat-tat-tat-tat</em>.</p><p>She shouldered the assault rifle’s stock and took off, exiting the court.</p><p> </p><p>She cut along a street, scanning her surroundings with her Kiroshi optics. She stayed close to one side of the road next to the buildings for cover.</p><p>Explosions and gunshots were still roaring in the distance. She could see tracer rounds being fired upward and downward as Weyland exchanged fire with hostiles on the ground.</p><p>V could see the lights from the school a couple of blocks ahead. As she passed a narrow alleyway, two medium-sized Griffin-class drones turned a corner, spotting her almost instantly.</p><p>They opened fire.</p><p>V quickly spun around and took cover in the alleyway. Bits of concrete flew ever which way as the corner took a hammering from the drones’ miniguns.  </p><p>After several moments, the hail of bullets had ceased. Now was her chance.</p><p>In a flash, she peeked from behind cover. The drones’ gun barrels were red-hot - they paused to cool down.</p><p>She used her optics to find a weak spot in the drones’ armour. She then fired a burst of shots from her assault rifle at the drone to the left. With a small explosion, it crashed to the ground. The one on her right was approaching her, circling around widely to find an angle on her.</p><p>She saw the barrels started spinning again. She took cover once more.</p><p>More bullets pelted her cover, kicking up dust and chunks of concrete. She turned her head to avert her eyes.</p><p>The mini-barrage had then ceased. More explosions went off in the distance.</p><p>She got out of cover and returned fire, fully unloading her magazine at the remaining drone.</p><p>The stopping power was too much – the its plating was no match. It spun out of control and toppled to the ground in flames.</p><p>V reloaded her rifle and pressed onward.</p><p> </p><p>She trotted down a bit further, constantly scanning her surroundings. She had drawn closer to the school, the <em>brrrrrrt </em>from Delamain’s autocannons echoing across the town.</p><p>A few moments later, her Kiroshi optics spotted lifeforms - but it was too late. She was assailed by bullets from multiple fronts. There was nowhere to hide.</p><p>She dived forward with a roll, taking cover behind the wreckage of a car. Her optics revealed one hostile by a first-floor window of a building, one by the ground floor of another building, and one taking cover outside behind a corner. They all seemed to be well-built, wearing black trenchcoats and shades - like corpo huscles.</p><p>The huscle on the first floor had terrain advantage. He had to be taken out first.</p><p>V took a few potshots at his window whenever the suppressive fire from the other two relented. But she couldn’t take him out. It would be over for her soon while he still had the high ground.</p><p>The bullets stopped; the huscles were reloading – she seized the opportunity.</p><p>The D5 Copperhead was a power assault rifle. She angled her shot, aiming for the windowsill such that the bullet would ricochet roughly towards where the huscle was crouched.</p><p>She fired two single-shots. She heard a pained scream, followed by a thud. One down.</p><p>More bullets assaulted her, clinking and clanking off the rusted metallic frame of the car.</p><p>There was a big explosion. Something had crashed into a building in the distance.</p><p>She decided to take out the huscle peeking from a corner. The huscle on the ground floor kept firing at her.</p><p>V carefully shifted around behind cover to get a better shot. The huscle she was aiming for occasionally peeked around his corner to fire off a few bullets at a time. She waited for the other one to reload.</p><p>The moment came where was no longer under fire. The huscle exposed his head once more from behind his corner. V let loose a quick burst-fire. His lead lurched backwards, and he dropped to the ground. Two down.</p><p>The last huscle kept firing. She shuffled around, turning her attention to him. But there was a problem.</p><p>There was no clean shot. He wasn’t exposing himself; he was firing a smart gun. His bullets angled upwards from the windowsill, then zoomed back down towards her. They pinged against the ruined chassis of the car as sparks lit up.</p><p>V kept ducking, and took a frag grenade from the vest Weyland had given her. She used her Kiroshi optics to highlight the exact angle she needed to throw it to land perfectly.</p><p>She pulled the pin.</p><p>But she held it in her hand. She was cooking the grenade.</p><p>
  <em>One</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Two</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Three</em>
</p><p>She threw the grenade. It landed right next to him.</p><p>“<em>Ach, Scheiß-…” </em>(Oh, shi-…).</p><p>The windowsill blew up in a mess of concrete, wood, and giblets.</p><p>She got up from the car wreck.</p><p>Something was wrong; she felt a bit funny. She looked down at herself. Of course, the pain blockers.  </p><p>She saw a couple of pools of blood on her clothes, one on the left part of her waist, one on her right thigh.</p><p>“Shit…”</p><p>She got out a couple of MaxDocs, and jabbed herself - one next to each wound.</p><p>She had to push forward. She could hear the aerial battle still rage on.</p><p> </p><p>A few noisy minutes passed, gunfire never relenting. She’d just reached the school, having to cross a street before being able to make her way inside.</p><p>V crept closer, stopping in front of an old store and ducking behind an old news stand. She was scanning the school with her Kiroshi optics. A part of the wall was collapsed, revealing an old classroom. She could see light coming from inside a different section of the school building.</p><p>She heard another explosion. She could see a ball of fire crash into a building on the opposite side of the town. Weyland was still cackling like a madman on his LMG. At least he was alright.</p><p>She decided to make a break for the school.</p><p>Halfway across the street, she felt a million sharp prickles in her hands. She dropped her gun instinctively.</p><p>V stopped to look at her hands. They felt fine? How odd.</p><p>But then, an insidious feeling wormed its way through her brain like a parasite, presaging impending doom. It lasted for a split second.</p><p>She tried bending downwards to pick the assault rifle back up. Except, she couldn’t. She couldn’t move at all. Her muscles began violently twitching. A burning sensation enveloped her entire body. She yelled in pain.</p><p>Then it struck her – her personal Intrusion Countermeasures Electronics had failed.</p><p>A netrunner has quickhacked her.</p><p>V heard a robotic-sounding voice to her right. She couldn’t move her head to look.</p><p>“<em>Où vas-tu, ma chère?</em>” (Where are you going, my dear?).</p><p>The figure stepped into her field of view. A lithe man in a black netrunning suit stepped towards her. His face was veiled by a mask covering his entire head. The slitted visor on his mask shone a bright green.</p><p>V saw two more corpo huscles appear on the school’s rooftop. They trained their guns on her.</p><p><em>“Pack sie! Wir müssen gehen</em>!” (Grab her! We need to leave!), yelled one of the huscles.</p><p>“<em>Reçu</em>” (Roger that), said the netrunner.</p><p>V was still shaking and struggling under the effects of the paralysis hack. Her entire body was still burning.</p><p>She saw the netrunner get a syringe out of one of his pockets.</p><p>There was another explosion somewhere, which caused the huscles on the rooftop to flinch and shift their gaze away.</p><p>The netrunner removed the cap and started flicking the needle as a nurse would.</p><p>He then tilted V’s neck, and moved the syringe closer to her. He hesitated, as she was still violently twitching.</p><p> </p><p>“BUMBO-PUSSY-RAASCLAAT!!”</p><p>
  <em>Fwoosh</em>
</p><p>A rocket trail.</p><p>The section of the rooftop violently exploded. Bits of debris flew everywhere.</p><p>The two huscles were gone.</p><p>Delamain’s tactical bomber hovered into view. Weyland was holding something.</p><p>The netrunner staggered backwards, before jolting his head up at the AV.  </p><p>The paralysis hack let up a bit - it was just enough. V swished her left arm forward.</p><p>The monowire cleanly pierced the netrunner’s skull.  </p><p>His shoulders slumped before he completely collapsed to the side.</p><p>The paralysis suddenly vanished, causing V to lose balance; she fell on her back. Her body felt like it was no longer set ablaze.  </p><p>“Ey, bosslady!” Weyland called out. “You alright, mon?”</p><p>V saw he was holding a rocket launcher. She slowly picked herself back up and rubbed her head.</p><p>“Where the fuck did you get that from?!” V yelled.</p><p>He shrugged. “Dela-mon, mon! Haha!”</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The situation room was buzzing with activity.</p><p>Two elegantly-dressed men were in a soundproof chamber overlooking the room. They stared at the hubbub below.</p><p>Men and women were running up and down the rows of monitors. Some people were shouting at each other; others were frantically talking over the holo. Some were simply staring in silence at their monitors. The hundreds of screens of various sizes were displaying the events unfolding across the Atlantic, in some backwater part of NUSA they’d never heard of before.</p><p>The two men watched as the operation was crumbling before their eyes.</p><p>“<em>Es scheint, wir haben diesen Söldner unterschätzt.”</em> (It seems we have underestimated this mercenary), said one of them.</p><p>“We should never have entrusted Interpol with this, old chap,” said the other.</p><p>The first mad nodded.</p><p>“<em>Wir werden den gleichen Fehler nicht nochmals machen</em>.” (We will not make that same mistake again), he said.</p><p>A few minutes passed as they kept watching in silence.</p><p>“Well, this is bloody depressing,” the second man piped up. “Are we taking matters into our own hands, then?”</p><p>“<em>Natürlich</em>” (Naturally), the other one replied.</p><p>“I’ll call her in.”</p><p>The second man got on the holo to somebody.</p><p>“Got something you need to take a gander at, love,” he said.</p><p>The call ended.  </p><p>A few more minutes passed. They then heard the door behind them open. They could hear metal clipping against the floor as someone walked towards them. They both turned around.</p><p>A cyborg woman approached them.</p><p>The upper part of her head was entirely cybernetic, with her jaw being the only organic bit left. Her cybernetic eyes were like lenses, shining a bright purple. Brunette hair grew from her metallic skull; she tied it up in a long ponytail. She wore an armoured bodysuit – or, better put, the bodysuit was fused to her – it <em>was </em>her. No doubt it hid countless other cyberware she’d had installed. She had no feet. Her legs were tapered, ending with sharp spider-like tips.</p><p>She stopped in front of the two men. She wet her lips before smiling.</p><p>“<em>Qui est ma cible?</em>” (Who is my target?), she asked enthusiastically.</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The explosions had stopped. Her heart was still beating rapidly.</p><p>Judy removed her hands from her ears.</p><p>She was hiding under the janitor’s desk for fear of the ceiling collapsing on her. All the shaking the room endured had kicked all the dust up. She had bits of plaster on her hair and shoulders.</p><p>She couldn’t make a run for it, as they’d locked the door and posted a guard outside. She peeked up from under the desk. She could still see his shadow on the doorsill.</p><p>She heard some more gunshots in the distance.</p><p>She was scared.</p><p>Were people here for her, or them? Could it be her friends from New Ashland – Bobby, Davey, Angie? They might be brave fools, but there’s no way they’d cause so many explosions.</p><p>She got up from under the desk. She thought about climbing up the collapsed ceiling to the classroom above. She wheeled the janitor’s chair towards the gap.</p><p>She heard more gunshots, somewhat closer this time. Her heart skipped a beat.</p><p>She looked up. Even with the chair, she’d still have to jump to grab hold of the ceiling. She didn’t know whether she had the strength to fully lift herself up.</p><p>She heard the huscle in front of her door fire off his gun. Moments later, he screamed out in pain. She heard him drop to the floor.</p><p>She spun around to look at the door. She saw a pool of blood seeping inside the janitor’s office from underneath the door. A cold shiver travelled down her spine.</p><p>Footsteps.</p><p>Someone then tried the door’s handle. The door was locked.</p><p>Judy took a few steps back, putting a bit more distance between her and the door.</p><p>There was a kick. The door shook.</p><p>Silence.</p><p>Another kick – louder and much more impactful. The door flew cleanly off its hinges, toppling to the floor with a loud thud.</p><p>Her heart was beating like a bat out of hell.</p><p> </p><p>A figure hobbled inside the office.</p><p> </p><p>Something got stuck in Judy’s throat. And that feeling in her stomach – butterflies? Her legs became weak.</p><p>She saw her. She couldn’t believe her eyes.</p><p>
  <em>Her.</em>
</p><p>Her V.</p><p>Mouth agape, she saw V scan the room briefly before spotting Judy.</p><p>Judy felt herself tremble. She covered her mouth with one hand.</p><p>She saw V smile a weary smile, leaning against the wall next to the door. She was clearly in pain. She saw the pools of blood on her clothes.</p><p>Shallow breaths. Judy’d almost forgotten how to breathe.</p><p>She started walking towards V, slowly, as if she was a toddler.</p><p>She saw V’s eyes were twinkling; jaw was tense, breaths were quick too.</p><p>A few more steps.</p><p>Judy had reached her. She lifted a trembling hand to gently stroke V’s cheek.</p><p>She saw V’s eyes were now red; she was biting her lip.</p><p>Judy couldn’t keep it in.</p><p>She let out a whimper as she hugged V tightly.</p><p>The whimper turned into a sob. The dam had burst.</p><p>She wept and bawled as she let the full weight of her body rest on V’s weary shoulders.</p><p>But V was exhausted - she couldn’t support her. She slid down along the wall with Judy in tow. V landed on her bottom, with Judy falling down on her knees. It hurt, but she didn’t care.</p><p>She kept sobbing, hugging V tighter than she’d ever done before - she wasn’t going to lose her again. V hugged her just as tightly, a little afraid she might accidentally squeeze the life out of her partner.</p><p>Judy lifted her head back to look at V; the tips of their noses were touching. She’d never seen V cry before. Tears now streamed down her florid face with her lips trembling fiercely. Judy wiped V’s teardrops off her cheeks with shaky thumbs.</p><p>She kissed V, closing her eyes tightly.</p><p>It was a long one. It was a panacea. She refused to break it.</p><p>But Judy couldn’t help but let out another sob, resting her forehead on V’s. She could feel V’s rapid, quaky breaths caress her skin as she was sniffling.</p><p>She felt V gently grab her head to pull her back in. Another long kiss – followed by many shorter ones: on Judy’s lips, chin, jaw, neck.</p><p>They looked at each other again. Some of Judy’s eyeliner stuck to V’s cheeks.</p><p>They were both properly crying now, eyes red and puffy.</p><p>Judy saw V suddenly smile at her. It was the most beautiful smile she’d ever seen, though she’d seen it a thousand times before. Judy smiled too amid short huffs. But the smile brought on more belly-deep sobbing.</p><p>V hugged her, still trembling and sniffling. She ran a hand through Judy’s green-pink hair. She kissed the wound on Judy’s forehead where she’d been struck.</p><p>V then started rocking them as Judy cried into her shoulder. She rested her chin on Judy’s head, shutting her eyes and taking her scent in.</p><p>V felt the weight of the world lift off of her.</p><p>“I’m here, Jude… I’m here…” she said with a cracked voice.</p><p>She planted a kiss on Judy’s hair.</p><p> </p><p>They both kept crying as they rocked back and forth in their embrace.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>There it is! The moment you've all been waiting for.</p><p>Thank you all for all the comments, private messages, and general words of encouragement I've received. I read each and every one, and it makes me happy to know you find this so engaging.</p><p>Special thanks to Centauri2002 for her help with the German bits!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Only You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>There was nothing to fear, and nothing to doubt.</p><p>For a while.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The power had gone out. It was dark.</p><p> </p><p>V watched as the moonlight coming through the tiny window in the janitor’s office lit up the cascade of kicked-up dust.</p><p>Judy was still in V’s arms, resting her head on the merc’s shoulder. She’d cried her poor heart out, and was now quietly sniffling away.</p><p>They had been sitting in silence for a while, neither of them having mustered the courage to speak up yet; they were both still in shock. The world was an unkind place. Into each and every life, some rain would definitely fall. But for Judy and V - when it rained, it poured. Could the storm have finally let up?</p><p>V was still gently stroking Judy’s green-pink fringe. Her natural dark brown colour was more prominent as her hair had grown out over the past months. It was a bit jarring to V as she’d only been gone a day, in her mind. She still couldn’t believe it had actually been three months. She was worried Judy would never forgive her, for she had no good answers to her inevitable questions.</p><p>Her headache was back. V tried to cast it aside as best she could, focusing instead on the heartbeat she could feel coming from the figure in her arms. They had a bit of time to kill. Delamain and Weyland were doing a full sweep of the town to ensure there were no hostiles left.</p><p>Judy stirred from their embrace and raised herself up. Concerned by the bloodstain she’d previously spotted on V’s waist, she lifted V’s tank top slightly to inspect the wound. She was relieved to see the bleeding had stopped.</p><p>“MaxDoc took care of it,” V said.</p><p>Judy looked back up at V. She’d seen her like this many times as she’d often come back to Judy’s apartment after a gig to lick her wounds. It was never easy seeing her in pain.</p><p>V reached a hand out to gingerly touch Judy’s forehead, placing a finger next to the wound from the huscle’s blow. “Did… did they hurt you?” asked V.</p><p>Judy cast her gaze downwards and shook her head.</p><p>“How long have they kept you here?”</p><p>“Less than a day, I think,” she replied.</p><p>V laid a hand atop one of Judy’s and gently squeezed it. “I’m so sorry…”</p><p>The techie let out a heavy sigh and pressed her lips firmly together. “V, I… you…” she hesitated.</p><p>Judy fumbled for words. So many questions – it’s been so long. Where had V been? Why was she still wearing the same tank top?</p><p>Some of Judy’s belongings, including her gun and phone, had been confiscated by the agents. If she had her phone, she’d have pulled it out now for emphasis.</p><p>“Left you so many messages… holocalls, V… I… just…” She lifted her gaze up to look V in the eyes. Her voice was all of a tremble. “Thought you were gone for good.” There were some tears left after all. She tried her best to hold them back.</p><p>V knew the dreaded questions would come. She pulled Judy in her arms once more, holding her close. It was all V could really do at that point.</p><p>“Where have you been?” Judy asked, hugging her back and squeezing her eyes shut.</p><p>“Promise I’ll tell you everythin’… Least, everythin’ I know.”</p><p>“Wh… what’s that supposed to mean?”</p><p>V could fear her shivering. She tried rubbing Judy’s arms to warm them up. “You’re freezin’, Jude.”</p><p>“I’m fine…”</p><p>V suddenly heard the familiar holocall ring in her ear. She picked up the call, letting go of Judy and looking down at the ground. After a few moments, she hung up and looked back up at Judy. “It’s safe to go now. Let’s delta.”</p><p>Judy nodded, and got up. Upon seeing V struggle to do the same, she crouched back down to help lift the merc up. Judy put V’s left arm around the back of her neck to help her stand and walk. She grunted and winced in pain as she unevenly walked out of the janitor’s office, bracing herself on Judy. Her bedrock.</p><p>They hobbled towards the school’s exit. Judy wondered why V’s gait was so odd, with one foot seemingly thudding louder than the other. Curious – but she concluded it was due to her wounded state.</p><p>They continued down the hallways that were lit only by the moonlight seeping through collapsed walls and holes in the roof. Judy could just about make out the trail of bodies left in V’s wake. Six… seven… eight. There were probably more. She noted how numb she was to the sight of them – she’d seen plenty of death in the City of Dreams. City of <em>Nightmares</em>, more like.</p><p>Judy had almost tripped on the body of one of the agents. Startled, she looked down at its pale face. It was agent Clouseau, the one who uploaded a lie detector daemon into her brain. His eyes were open; V had shot him square in the forehead.</p><p>Despite everything, V had come for her when she was needed the most. Holding on to her felt surreal.</p><p>They walked out through the school’s entrance. V spotted the tactical bomber parked in the middle of the road with its landing feet deployed. Plumes of smoke were rising from various destroyed buildings across town as the fiery glow lit up the night sky.</p><p>Weyland was leaning against the AV, enjoying a smoke. He saw the two approach.</p><p>“Ey, bosslady! You ok?” he called out.</p><p>“Fine…” V groaned as she kept leaning on Judy. She looked at the burly merc and saw that he was unscathed.</p><p>“How come you didn’t get shot?”</p><p>He grinned toothily. “Lucky rabbit foot. My grammy caught one fifty years ago.”</p><p>V looked askance at him. Weyland shifted his gaze to Judy.</p><p>“So, this is the damsel in distress,” he remarked.</p><p>Judy curled her lips. “Yeah… thanks for comin’ to my rescue,” she said tersely.</p><p>Detecting her annoyance, Weyland extended both palms outward to calm her. “It’s I who should be thanking <em>you</em>, mon. Been dying of boredom lately.”</p><p>“Welcome back, Miss V,” came Delamain’s synthesised voice from a loudspeaker. “Are we all ready to head back to Night City?”</p><p>“W-wait,” Judy interrupted. “Not going back to NC.”</p><p>“What is your destination?” asked the AI.</p><p>Judy crinkled her nose in confusion at the AV. “Uhh… New Ashland,” she answered.</p><p>The response was instant. “Unfortunately, we would be unable to make the detour – I estimate the fuel levels are insufficient.”</p><p>Judy turned her head to face V. “Need to get back to my grandparents, V,” she said.</p><p>The merc looked at her and gave her an affirmatory squeeze on her shoulder.</p><p>V then addressed Delamain. “These assholes have any cars? Birds?”</p><p>“Exterminatus protocols have eliminated most of the aerial and terrestrial vehicles present inside the town,” he announced proudly. “However, my scanners are picking up an unscathed SUV present on the opposite side of the school. I can hack it and summon it for you. Shall I proceed?”</p><p>“Yeah. Goin’ with Judy. You two head back to NC,” V said.</p><p>“Very well, Miss V.”</p><p>“You’re comin’ with me?” Judy asked.</p><p>V smiled wearily. “Think there’s anywhere else I’d rather be?”</p><p>Judy looked away to avoid her gaze. She didn’t answer. The smile was wiped from V’s face as she lowered her chin to her chest. She was going to come clean.</p><p>A black Chevillon Emperor drove itself towards the group, stopping between the AV and the two women. It was just like the one Judy’d been kidnapped in – perhaps the same one, even.</p><p>“I’ll drive,” Judy said.</p><p>With V still supporting herself on the young techie, she let herself be led by her as they hobbled towards the front passenger side.  </p><p>“Do you require medical attention, Miss V?” Delamain inquired.</p><p>“I’m fine, Del,” she replied. “Thanks for the assist, both.”</p><p>“Any time, V. And don’t worry, I’ll handle the club ‘till you’re back, mon,” Weyland said.</p><p>“Weyland, far as I’m concerned, the Afterlife’s yours now. Will transfer the deed to you soon.”</p><p>Judy’s ears perked up at that as she got in the driver’s seat. Why was V tossing away everything she’d worked for?</p><p>“Sure about this, bosslady?” he asked.</p><p>Sat in the passenger seat with the door still open, V extended a hand towards Weyland. On seeing this, the Jamaican solo walked towards the car and grabbed it with a firm handshake.</p><p>“I’m sure. Take good care of it, you hear?” V said with a solemn nod.</p><p>He put his other hand on V’s shoulder. “If these battyholes come for you again V, my door will always be open to you, mon,” he said.</p><p>“Thanks, Squama.”</p><p>The AI also bid them farewell. “Thank you for choosing the Delamain service. Have a good night.”</p><p>The engines on the AV whirred back to life as Weyland hopped in. V closed the SUV’s door, and the tactical bomber lifted itself up and away.</p><p>Judy put the car in gear and drove off.</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The air conditioning had warmed the two back up.</p><p>They had been driving in silence for some time, both in a brown study. A million questions swirled inside Judy’s mind, twisting and turning, scrambling her thoughts. She could only stare at the road in front of them.</p><p>Most of the same questions were plaguing V, too. The hot embers inside her skull were ever-present. She rested her head on her fist, propping her elbow on the top of the door card. Where would she even begin explaining? Would Judy even believe her?</p><p>Somehow, both of them found it within themselves to conjure up the right things to say – but at the same time.</p><p>“Jude, I-…”</p><p>“V, wh-…”</p><p>They shot each other an amused glance. A few more quiet moments passed.</p><p>“I don’t-…”</p><p>“I just-…”</p><p>They interrupted each other again. Judy let out a small chuckle as V’s cheeks dimpled in a smile.</p><p>“You go first,” V said.</p><p>“N-no, you…”</p><p>“Alright…” V said as she bit her bottom lip. Searching for the right words, she massaged herself between her eyebrows.</p><p>“Nothin’ was right, Jude,” she confessed. “Was still dyin’ after Mikoshi.”</p><p>Judy knew that. “Figured as much, eventually…”</p><p>V clenched her jaw. “That casino job… that was a last-ditch attempt to find a cure. Was never about the glory. Was warned it was nigh-impossible to pull off, though. Thought I was gonna get flatlined for sure.”</p><p>She leaned forward and propped her head in her hands. Concerned, Judy flashed her gaze towards V.</p><p>V piped up. “’Member what you said that day we met? What you called me… and Ev?”</p><p>Judy pulled her brows together and nodded at her.</p><p>“Thought I was being selfish. Me, a walkin’, talkin’ corpse… draggin’ you down with me. How could I do that to you after what you’d already been through? Was gonna die no matter what.”</p><p>Judy’s head swung back to focus on the road. “So… what, thought it’d be best to keep me in the dark?”</p><p>“Thought it best I drove you away… that you’d just… move on. Get over me. Spare you the pain.”</p><p>V saw Judy tighten her grip on the steering wheel. She was blinking rapidly. “How can you make that decision for someone, V…? For me…? Did I not have the right to choose…?”</p><p>V placed a hand on Judy’s thigh.  </p><p>“Thought I was doin’ the right thing… protectin’ you.”</p><p>Judy looked at V again with watery eyes as she bit the inside of her mouth. “Are… are you still dyin’?”</p><p>“Don’t know… don’t think so, no…”</p><p>“What d’you mean you don’t know?”</p><p>V grimaced and lowered her head.</p><p>“Judy… I’ve got no memory of these past few months…”</p><p>After studying V for a minute, the techie’s eyes darted back to the road; she slammed on the brakes. The car came to a complete stop within a few seconds.</p><p>“Tell me everythin’…” she said with a quaky voice.  </p><p>And so V did. She told her about all the cures she’d sought as Queen of the Afterlife; that they all led nowhere. She described the events leading up to the heist, her last hope at a quiet life: meeting with Blue Eyes; the orbital station; the rocket; the workshack; the mysterious grenade. She gave her a rundown of the heist itself, all its perils and dangers: the subterfuge; the alarm; the explosions; the running; the casino; the samurai… the airlock.</p><p>V then pulled up her right pantleg.</p><p>“Oh, fuck…”</p><p>The merc slumped in her seat. “I know. Would’ve cut off a lot more if it meant gettin’ back to you, though.”</p><p>Still wide-eyed, Judy slowly reached out to grab V’s hand and held it, interlocking their fingers. “Shit, V… I’m sorry… Does… does it hurt?” she asked.</p><p>V shook her head.</p><p>“And the last three months?” Judy pressed her lips into a thin line.</p><p>“Woke up back in the penthouse after the heist. Hoped that maybe… maybe you’d still be there. Waitin’ for me… Saw your messages… your voicemails.”</p><p>Judy watched V painfully retell - she was squinting, and her eyes were fluttering in a frown.</p><p>“V, last time I saw you this scared… you came to me lookin’ for Ev… after Konpeki.”</p><p>“Fuckin’ am scared, Jude. That guy, Blue Eyes? The one who hired me for the job? His detes were gone after I woke up. He promised me a cure… and I guess it worked? I mean… I feel better. But I dunno what he did…”</p><p>“Can’t you track him down?”</p><p>V rubbed the back of her neck. “Spent weeks tryin’ to find anythin’ on him, ‘fore the heist. Nobody could tell me jack…” She paused. “People like that guy, Judy? Top of the food chain. If he doesn’t wanna be found, I’ve not got a snowball’s chance in hell.”</p><p>With a trembling chin, Judy squeezed V’s hand. “It’s alright, V. We’re gonna figure it out together. No more secrets.”</p><p>“No more secrets,” V agreed. She gave Judy a tight-lipped smile.</p><p>Yet V couldn’t bring herself to burden Judy with the whole truth - that she still didn’t feel quite right: the unrelenting migraine; the tightness in her chest; the unease she felt about the world.</p><p>Judy put the car back in gear and drove off once more, continuing down the road.</p><p>V felt like she was dying for a drink. Looking around the car, she opened the glovebox and spotted a pack of smokes and a lighter. She pulled a cig out and lit it. Maybe this would help with her headache.</p><p>“Want one?” V asked. She held the pack out towards Judy.</p><p>The young techie furtively glanced at it. She’d been clean for a week now - should she really fall off the wagon now?</p><p>Yes, she concluded; these were trying times. She grabbed a smoke from the packet and put it in her mouth, leaning towards V to have her light it up. It’d been a crazy couple of days; breathing the smoke in felt good.</p><p>“Wanna hear about you,” V said.</p><p> </p><p>As they drove onward, Judy regaled the events of the past few months with sparkling eyes - all the highs and the lows. Tears trickled back down as she told her of her struggles over the news about the Crystal Place; the dreams of Laguna Bend; the trouble she’d had moving on; the people she’d met; the kidnapping. All the while, V had been listening with a knotted stomach and uneven breathing. She never let go of Judy’s hand.</p><p>The techie wiped away the tears trickling down her own cheeks. “Y’know V, handholding is considered extremely lewd in some parts of the world,” she smiled.</p><p>“My girl’s been getting’ brainier, huh?” V returned, chuckling amid sniffles.</p><p>“Careful, don’t get me started on hydroponics. It could make you wet.”  </p><p>The car’s interior resounded with Judy’s giggles and snuffles. V’s joined in the chorus. It’s something they hadn’t done in a while; it was exhilarating.</p><p>The laughter eventually died down.</p><p>Staring at her feet, V was fidgeting with a seam on her tank top. “Really sorry about everythin’ Judy… feels like you woulda been better off without me in your life.”</p><p>Judy shot her a piercing glare. “Look at me,” she demanded.</p><p>V lifted her head, and their eyes locked.</p><p>“Don’t ever say… or even think that again, V.”</p><p>Judy’s scowl relented after a bit. “You’re forgettin’ I chose this, too. You told me ‘bout the Relic, ‘bout your chances. I knew what I was gettin’ myself into… ‘n I still wanted this to happen – wanted <em>us</em> to happen.” She refocused on the road.</p><p>Judy rested her elbow on the door card and bit down on a finger, gazing into the distance with a faraway expression. “You’ve no idea how much I missed you.”</p><p>Feeling the stab to her chest, V leaned towards Judy and pulled her in for a kiss. They didn’t need eyes on the road, anyway. She pulled back slightly after a little while and tucked Judy’s fringe behind her ear, caressing her cheek.</p><p>“Not gonna lose me again. I promise.”</p><p>Her smile enveloped V like a warm blanket in a frigid winter’s eve.</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>They chatted away for a couple of hours before approaching New Ashland in the dead of night.</p><p>V had already been given the rundown on the community and its people. They were just passing the greenhouses inside the gated compound. Something about toiling away in the middle of nowhere for corpos to get their fresh produce didn’t sit right with V. Her head hurt. She tried discarding the thought.</p><p>“God, I hope <em>nono </em>is alright,” Judy said.</p><p>V looked at her, and gave her arm a reassuring rub.  </p><p>After a few minutes, the SUV pulled up in front of Judy’s grandparents’ house. They parked next to the Sea Dragon.</p><p>“Good to see the old lady again,” V said.</p><p>“She’s seen better days… maybe you can help me fix ‘er up?” Judy said with a wink.  </p><p>“Course, be more than happy to.”</p><p>Judy switched the engine off, and they sat in silence for a moment. They saw there were no lights coming from inside the house.</p><p>“Hey, need help getting out?”</p><p>“Nah, feelin’ a bit better now, thanks,” V replied.</p><p>They both got out of the SUV. As they closed the car doors, a light flicked to life.</p><p>“That’s probably my grandmother,” Judy whispered. “She was always a light sleeper. Be on your best behaviour, V.”</p><p>“Alright,” she whispered back.</p><p>They walked up to the front door. Judy gently knocked a few times. They then heard the shuffle of approaching feet coming from inside. The locks were being undone. One… two… three… That was the last one. The door opened, but it was left ajar. An eye peeked through the opening; a look of realisation followed. The door swung wide.</p><p>“<em>¡Judy, mi cielito! ¡Gracias a la Santa Madre, estás a salvo!</em>” Mama Alvarez effused, crossing herself. She took a couple of steps forward and gave Judy the biggest, tightest embrace she’d probably given anyone in her life.</p><p>“I’m okay, <em>nana</em>,” Judy said as she hugged her grandmother back.</p><p>“The Holy Mother answered our prayers,” her grandmother said with a tremor in her jaw. After a few more tender moments, Mama Alvarez drew back to take stock of her granddaughter, squeezing her shoulders. She quickly wiped her eyes.</p><p>“I’m so glad you’re safe, <em>hija</em>. We were going to drive up to Eugene tomorrow to tell the police.” Judy’s grandmother then turned to examine V, startled by the dried pools of blood she spotted on her clothes.</p><p>“<em>¿Quién es? Está herida</em>” (Who’s this? She’s hurt), she said to Judy.</p><p>“<em>Nana</em>, this is V. Y’know, the one I told you about…”</p><p>“<em>¿Qué? ¿La ‘V’? Pensé que habías dicho que estaba muerta</em>” (What? The ‘V’? I thought you said she was dead).</p><p>“Hello, Mrs. Alvarez,” V said nervously.</p><p>“Can we come in, <em>nana</em>?”</p><p>“<em>Si, si</em>, of course, <em>entrad! </em>Before you freeze!”</p><p>Once inside, Mama Alvarez sat them both down at the kitchen table.</p><p>“I’ll go grab the first aid kit,” she said. She shuffled away towards the bathroom.</p><p>Unable to sit still, V was bouncing a leg up and down. Judy noticed her anxiousness.</p><p>“V, you ok?”</p><p>“What if she doesn’t like me?” V whispered.</p><p>Judy placed a hand to her mouth to hold in a chuckle. “It’ll be alright,” she reassured her.</p><p>Mama Alvarez returned with the kit in hand, and stopped in front of V.</p><p>“N-no, Mrs. Alvarez… I-I’m fine… tend to Judy, please,” V stammered.</p><p>“The blood, young lady?”</p><p>“Bleeding’s stopped, it’s alright.”</p><p>Mama Alvarez nodded, then pulled up a chair next to Judy. She got to work tending to the gash on her forehead.</p><p>“<em>Cuéntame qué pasó, hijita</em>” (Tell me what happened, dear), said her grandmother.</p><p>“They took me to Grants Pass and kept me inside the school. It was-…”</p><p>“It was my fault, Mrs. Alvarez,” V blurted out. V saw Mama Alvarez turn her head towards her, regarding her with suspicion.</p><p>“They took Judy to set a trap for me,” V continued. “It was because of me.” V blinked rapidly, not daring to meet the old woman’s gaze.</p><p>“<em>¿Qué pasó con esos hombres?</em>” (What happened to those men?), Mama Alvarez asked her granddaughter.</p><p>“They’re… gone, <em>nana</em>.”</p><p>A raspy voice came from the hallway. “<em>María, ¿qué está pasando?</em>” (María, what's going on?).</p><p>A tall man wearing pyjamas stepped into the kitchen. His weather-beaten and wrinkled features were partially concealed by his bushy Van Dyke. It was mostly salt, with a few traces of pepper left. On seeing his granddaughter, Papa Alvarez rushed to her side.</p><p>“<em>Mi pequeña techie, ¡estaba tan preocupado por ti!</em>” (My little techie, I was so worried about you!), he said as he cradled her hands in his.</p><p>“I’m okay now, are you alright? I saw you fall, was really worried. And the infection?” Judy asked. Her grandmother was still busy cleaning her wound.</p><p>“<em>No te preocupes, hijita. Se necesitará más que eso para matarme.</em>” (Don’t worry my darling. It’ll take more than that to kill me.), he smiled at her.</p><p>“<em>Nono</em>, don’t talk like that…”</p><p>He chuckled and planted a kiss on Judy’s head. He then turned his attention to V, scanning her.</p><p>“<em>¿Quién es tu amiga?” </em>(Who is your friend?), he asked Judy.</p><p>“<em>Ella es V</em>.” (She is V), said Mama Alvarez.</p><p>There was a look of realisation, followed by a frown that stiffened his face. “My granddaughter cried for many weeks because of you,” he said to the merc.  </p><p>His words cut deep. V dipped her head down and pulled her lips back to hide her doleful look.</p><p>“<em>Nono</em>, it wasn’t her fault! She’s also the one who rescued me!” Judy interjected.</p><p>Papa Alvarez scratched his great white whiskers. “<em>¿Es eso cierto?</em>” (Is that true?), he asked his granddaughter.</p><p>Judy nodded, wincing as her grandmother disinfected her wound.</p><p>Her grandfather’s features relaxed. “<em>Calentaré algo de comida.</em>” (I’ll heat up some food.).</p><p>Mama Alvarez finished tending to her granddaughter by placing a bandage patch on her wound. She moved to put the first aid kit away, but stopped in front of V and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Thank you for bringing our granddaughter back.”</p><p>V could only respond with a timid smile.</p><p>After a while, Papa Alvarez placed a bowl of Scop ‘n Soya stew in front of both of the young women, who immediately began scarfing the food down. Judy’s grandparents sat next to them, prodding Judy with various questions. They talked for a long while, sometimes addressing V, too, who answered nervously. Once the conversation had died down a bit, there was a lingering question V felt the need to let out.</p><p>“This is great, Mr. and Mrs. Alvarez, but how come there’s none of the fresh stuff you grow here?” she asked diffidently.</p><p>“They don’t allow us to eat any of it. If we’re caught, we get kicked out,” Mama Alvarez explained.</p><p>V’s mousy attitude suddenly gave way to a spout of anger, which caught Judy’s grandparents off guard.</p><p>“Well, that’s fuckin’ bullshit!” The pain emanating from her skull flared back up.</p><p>“V, language!” Judy scolded.</p><p>“<em>Pero ella tiene razón.</em>” (She’s right, though), smirked Papa Alvarez.</p><p>Judy got up from the table. “<em>Nana, nono, </em>think we’re both done in, gonna hit the sack.”</p><p>“<em>¿Tienes ropa de repuesto para ella?</em>” (Do you have any spare clothes for her?), asked Mama Alvarez.</p><p>“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.”</p><p>“I’ll prepare the guest room then,” her grandmother said.</p><p>“N-no, that won’t be necessary,” Judy quickly retorted.</p><p>Her grandmother gave her a quizzical look, but then nodded.</p><p>Judy’s grandparents got up and retired for the night after swamping her with an avalanche of hugs and kisses.  </p><p>Judy directed V towards the bathroom. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”</p><p>The bathroom was tiny and spartan, with faux coppery mosaic tiles on the walls and shower cabin.</p><p>“Pressure’s a bit crap, ‘n the water’s only ever on for a few minutes at a time every few hours. For rationing,” Judy explained. “I’ll let you shower.” She did an about-face to leave.  </p><p>V grabbed her hand. “Wait… Join me?”</p><p>Judy furrowed her brow in apprehension. But in the end, V’s bright smile seemed to have disarmed her of any fears.</p><p>The two tossed their clothes on the floor and hopped in the cramped shower cabin. They worked double time to clean themselves – and each other – up. Understandably, Judy avoided touching the golden leg. Yet V noticed the continued hesitation in the techie’s movements; she didn’t make any eye contact either, as if they hadn’t bathed together plenty of times before. V mused the past few months must have clearly been torturous for Judy. Maybe having amnesia wasn’t such a bad thing, after all?</p><p>V gently gripped Judy’s shoulders and pulled her in closer, catching her by surprise. “Hey… it’s me,” V cooed. She lifted Judy’s chin up.</p><p>Eyes glinting with emotion, Judy wrapped her naked form around V and rested her head on the merc’s shoulder. The water was going to run out any minute now. But she didn’t care. She needed this. She needed to <em>feel</em> again.</p><p>The waterflow had stopped, but the two didn’t let go of each other – not until they started feeling the cold biting at them. They got out, and headed into Judy’s room, wherein the techie gave V a spare shirt and some underwear.</p><p>“It’s… not what you’re used to,” Judy said, pointing at the single bed.</p><p>Disregarding her remark, V plopped herself on the bed, scooching over to make room and motioning for Judy to join her with a few pats on the empty space. “’Member your apartment? Was nice ‘n cosy like this, too,” V grinned.</p><p>With a giggle, Judy switched off the light with and got under the sheets too. Sharing the one pillow, they faced one another and stared in silence.</p><p>They both refused to close their eyes, afraid as though they might not see one another again once they opened them back up.</p><p>The stillness of the night was broken by the sound of their breaths caressing each other’s face. Judy still felt somewhat cloudy about it all, as if her mind were in a haze and she was about to snap out from yet another one of her dreams. She lifted her hand to gingerly graze V’s cheek, to make sure the woman close to her was real; that she wasn’t going to wake up and feel heartbroken yet again.</p><p>On seeing Judy’s misty eyes, V grabbed the hand on her face and kissed it. “I’m here,” she softly reassured.</p><p>Stifling tears, Judy shifted herself forward. Their lips met once more as Judy lolled into the kiss. Like an angel casting a demon down from Heaven, the blissful frisson that coursed through her body banished all the pent-up hurt and anguish from the past few months. There, in V’s embrace, she felt like a missing piece of herself had returned to make her whole once more. Shifting around to lie atop the merc, she felt herself drift off as her head was being cradled.</p><p>This time however, she need not dream. She was already on cloud nine. The words tattooed on her were veridical.</p><p>
  <em>There was nothing to fear and nothing to doubt.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>V slowly opened her eyes. The light of daybreak brushed against her face.</p><p>She saw Judy propped an elbow on the pillow and was resting her head on her hand. She was looking at V, smiling.</p><p>“Mornin’,” she purred.</p><p>“Mornin’ you. Been starin’ long?” V asked coyly.</p><p>“Mhm. For a little while.”</p><p>Doubt wormed its way inside V. “Hope… hope you still like what you see,” she said with a brittle tone.</p><p>Judy leaned forward and planted a kiss on V’s forehead. “Perish the thought, you silly gonk.” She got up, and walked towards her desk where she rifled through a rucksack.</p><p>“Wanna show you somethin’.”</p><p>She produced a datashard and two braindance wreaths from her bag.</p><p>Judy was buzzing with enthusiasm. “Scrolled this the other day. Haven’t shown this to anyone yet.”  </p><p>“Thought you said you had no time for BDs.”</p><p>“I don’t. Went divin’ a couple mornings ago - this is raw footage,” Judy said as she sat back down on the bed. She inserted the datashard into one of the wreaths, and passed the other one to V.</p><p>“You watch, and I edit in real-time. Like…”</p><p>“Yeah, I ‘member Jude.”</p><p>The painful memory of them watching the XBD in Judy’s van to track down Evelyn shouldn’t spoil their morning.</p><p>They both put the wreaths on. “Ready?” Judy asked.</p><p>“Ready.”</p><p>Their vision was blurred by a blinding light. They were no longer in Judy’s room; they were looking out towards the sea.</p><p>They both experienced the events of that serene morning on the coast through Judy’s recording. The techie sped up the boring bits, skipping to her search for seashells on the seabed, through the rocky reef and past the small canyon into the sandy shelf.</p><p>“What’s that?” V asked, spotting the strange moving thing in the distance.</p><p>“Patience.”</p><p>They both watched as Judy got closer.</p><p>“Woah…” V crooned.</p><p>V saw the outlandish translucent thing with noodle-like tendrils propelling itself through the water with flappy motions.</p><p>“Meet Dicknoodles,” Judy proudly said.</p><p>V chuckled. “That his name? I’ve seen a few like him before, though smaller and not as impressive.”</p><p>“You have?” Judy said, barely containing the excitement in her voice.</p><p>“Yeah, in a gig. Y’know Below Deck, the nightclub in Japantown?”</p><p>“The underwater-themed one? Yeah. Always wanted to go there but it’s a VIP-only thing…”</p><p>“Had to deliver some of these things to the club… like, real ones. They thought they were gonna get robbed. Was boring as hell, nothin’ happened.” V said.</p><p>“What’re they called?”</p><p>“Hmm… Uhh… jello-things? Jello-…jelly… uhh,” V struggled to recall. “…squish. Jelly-squish? No… jelly-fish. Jellyfish! Yeah.”</p><p>“Jellyfish? Seriously? He doesn’t even look like a fish,” Judy said.</p><p>“Shit!” V cried out. She felt the same sting from Dicknoodles.</p><p>Judy sniggered at her reaction. She played the recording for a little while longer, while chatting about the sights and feelings she’d felt that day. It was a bittersweet outing, V could tell. Through the braindance V could feel the Judy being troubled by various memories. Some of those were of her, no doubt.</p><p>Judy played the recording for a bit more, then decided the rest of the footage was too boring. They both exited the braindance.</p><p>V saw the same blinding white light. Something was different, though. Something was wrong. She heard a voice.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Your body is Silverhand’s. Your mind shall therefore be his too.</em>
</p><p>It sounded like Mr. Blue Eyes. Her heart started racing. Her head was pounding. She heard him balefully laugh.</p><p>
  <em>I look forward to seeing how you’ll shake off the ESA.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>The light was gone. V was back in Judy’s room. She felt exhausted.</p><p>“V? You okay?” Judy asked, placing a hand on the merc’s shoulder.</p><p>V turned to look at her, startled and blinking rapidly. “Yeah… yeah, I’m good.”</p><p>“Look like you just saw a ghost,” Judy said, as she took the wreath off both herself and V.</p><p>“I’m fine, really.” She wiped the sweat from her brow. “Hey, what time is it?”</p><p>“Seven-ish,” Judy replied.</p><p>“Wanna go back to bed?”</p><p>“Daylight’s burnin’, <em>mi calabacita</em>.”</p><p>V felt a flutter in her stomach. She missed that pet name.</p><p>“Got some things I need to do. You rest up,” Judy said. She leaned in to give V a peck, and fluffed the pillow for her.</p><p>V laid back down. “Thanks. See you in a bit?”</p><p>“In a bit,” Judy softly replied, booping V’s nose with a finger.</p><p>Eyes gradually closing, V watched Judy spin around time to give her a smile prior to leaving the bedroom.</p><p>Despite feeling as though someone was sticking a cattle prod to her head over and over again, she still managed to somehow snatch forty winks. The weight of the world had done a number on her.</p><p> </p><p>She opened her eyes once more. She felt a bit more rested; her headache had morphed into a mild stinging.</p><p>The light trickling through the window was brighter.</p><p>V got up. She noticed a pair of pants had been placed on the bed with a note on top. She picked it up.</p><p>
  <em>Put these on, wanna see how you look in ‘em &lt;3</em>
</p><p>She shifted her gaze towards the garment, picking it up to inspect it. The pants were black, and made of synthleather. At least, that’s what she reckoned, anyway - they could well have been genuine since it wasn’t beyond Judy’s means. V slipped into them; they were a snug fit. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t have gone for leather pants as it wasn’t her style. Yet, she felt oddly drawn to this pair. Was it because it belonged to Judy? Or because it reminded her of Johnny’s own authentic leather rockerboy pair?</p><p>No - definitely the former, she told herself.</p><p> </p><p>She put the sneakers Vik gave her back on and left the bedroom, making her way down the hall. She scanned the house for Judy, but spotted Papa Alvarez instead. He was sitting in the living room sofa watching a news bulletin. He noticed her walk in.</p><p>“V! Come, sit down. Wanted to speak with you.” He motioned towards an armchair next to him.</p><p>V stiffened a bit, but did as he asked.</p><p>The old man waited for her to sit down before continuing. “I wanted to thank you for saving my granddaughter.”</p><p>“Uhh… like I said, ‘twas my fault in the first place. Don’t thank me,” V said, nervously rubbing the back of her neck.</p><p>“Regardless… thank you,” he said.</p><p>V swallowed hard and bobbed her head in acknowledgment, trying to avoid the gaze of his wizened eyes.</p><p>“This has made me realise that I am now too old. I can no longer protect Judy.” He ran a hand down his beard, still considering V. “She is… very fond of you, V. I do not know what happened, but I am glad you are here now – for her sake.”</p><p>V’s heart started racing. What has Judy told him?</p><p>“Judy is like a daughter to us. María and I… we… lost Valéria, Judy’s mother, when she was still very young.”</p><p>Her ears perked up. Judy’s mother and her shared a name?</p><p>“I don’t know what I would do if something happened to Judy…” He paused.</p><p>“I need to know what your intentions are,” Papa Alvarez said abruptly.  </p><p>V’s gaze no longer wavered. She narrowed her eyes to look at the old man.</p><p>“<em>Señor Alvarez</em>,” she started. “<em>Judy significa el mundo para mí.</em>” (Judy means the world to me).</p><p>His eyes widened. “<em>¿Hablas nuestro idioma?</em>” (You speak our language?).</p><p>“<em>Soy de Heywood</em>,” (I’m from Heywood) V shrugged. She gathered her thoughts. “<em>Ella también me salvó la vida, sabes…</em> <em>literal y figuradamente.”</em> (She saved my life too, y’know… literally and figuratively speaking).</p><p>“<em>Parece que hay una historia ahí</em>,” (It sounds like there’s a story there) he said with a raised eyebrow.</p><p>V offered a watery smile. “Maybe we’ll tell it to you some day.” She cleared her throat. “Suffice to say, Mr. Alvarez, I don’t see myself bein’ anywhere else but with her.”</p><p>“<em>Tiene usted mi palabra,</em>” (You have my word) V concluded.</p><p>His suspicions seemingly allayed, he pursed his lips and relaxed his gaze before letting out an amused huff. “There’s no need to be so formal,” he grinned.</p><p>Mama Alvarez came out of nowhere from the kitchen, which took V by surprise. She placed a hand on the merc’s shoulder. “<em>Eres una buena alma</em>, <em>V</em>. <em>Estoy segura de que Judy estará feliz contigo,</em>” (You’re a good soul V. I’m sure Judy will be happy with you) she said.</p><p>V wasn’t so certain about the first part, but she would do her damnedest to make the latter bit true.</p><p>“Go, she’s outside,” said Papa Alvarez.</p><p>V got up from the armchair. After exchanging smiles and nods with Judy’s grandparents, she walked towards the front door and stepped outside.</p><p>She could hear humming - Etta Sorentino’s <em>Only You. </em>The song Judy introduced her to after Laguna Bend. It became their song. V hadn’t heard it in a while, not with the dark clouds that had been looming over them back in Night City. Like a siren’s alluring call, she felt herself once again captivated by the saccharine melody as she’d first been at the dam. With the dulcet tone resounding in her ears, she turned her head towards its source.</p><p>She saw Judy in the front working away under the hood of the Sea Dragon. She had put on one of her other black overalls, and wore a dark grey T-shirt. She was bent over, intently tightening a nut with a socket wrench. V couldn’t stop herself from checking her out.</p><p>Judy seemingly had eyes in the back of her head. “Enjoyin’ the view?” she called out, still focused on the engine bay.</p><p>V was grinning like a gonk.</p><p>“What was it you said, back in the dam? ‘Visual sensors’re gettin’ stimmed?’” the techie asked kittenishly.</p><p>V couldn’t suppress a chortle. “And you warned me. ’Don’t get excited – oxygen supply’s limited!’”</p><p>“Hahaha!”</p><p>That kind of genuine laughter was something V had also missed. Was Judy finally in a transport of delight? V walked towards her, coming to a stop next to her. She ran a hand across Judy’s back.</p><p>“I’ve missed that song,” V said.</p><p>“Me too,” Judy agreed, getting up to dimple at V.</p><p>“Need a hand?”</p><p>“Yeah. Pass me the half-inch ratchet?” She pointed to a toolbox on the ground next to them.</p><p>V bent down to grab the socket wrench, passing it to Judy. “What was wrong with her?”</p><p>“Electric coupling module. Took it out and put a different one in.”</p><p>“Uhuh,” V said as if she knew what Judy was talking about. For V, driving cars in sticky situations wasn’t an issue. Fixing them on the other hand…</p><p>“All done,” Judy said as she tightened the final nut. She leaned back out of the engine bay. “Watch out,” she warned, as she pushed the hood back down with a loud thud. Judy then eyed V up. “Huh. They look good on you.”</p><p>“Hmm?”</p><p>“The pants,” Judy pointed.</p><p>V looked down. “Oh, right. Yeah… thanks Jude… I like ‘em a lot.”</p><p>The techie winked at her. “Could you put the tools in the back? Gonna head inside for a sec.”</p><p>“Sure thing.” V could see the bounce in Judy’s step as the techie walked back to the house. She could feel her heart enlarging just then, knowing Judy was happy.</p><p>V put all the toolboxes away in the back of the van. As she closed the double doors, she received a recorded message through the holo. She hesitated, but then decided it may be important. She played the message through her cyberdeck; it rang directly in her ear. The voice seemed digitally modulated to avoid recognition, but it was definitely a woman’s.</p><p>
  <em> Don’t know if you’re alive, but they’ve tracked me down so I’m going underground. Hacked into Night Corp again, and grabbed some more files. V – they’ve fucked with your head, big time. Night Corp, the twisted fucks. </em>
</p><p>V’s pulse started racing. She felt lightheaded.</p><p>
  <em>I don’t know how, or why – out of all the people they’re doing it to, you’re the one with the lowest net worth. All I know is them messing with your brain is the only thing keeping you alive. That’s all I know. Just… be careful. We’re square now.</em>
</p><p>The message stopped. She looked at the name of the contact. <em>S.D. </em>Could it be-…?</p><p>“V, you okay?” Judy suddenly called out as she approached the merc.  </p><p>“Yeah… yeah. Just some Afterlife biz that I’ve forwarded to Weyland,” V said.</p><p>Judy peered at her inquisitively, but decided it was best not to pry.</p><p>“What’s the plan?” V asked with a flushed face.</p><p>“Well, I’ve shown you my digs, want you to see what I’ve been up to, too.” Judy gestured towards her old van. “Hop in!”</p><p>“Sounds good.” She silently let out a worried deep breath.  </p><p>They got inside the Sea Dragon, and drove off towards the centre of the small town.</p><p> </p><p>They stopped in front of Judy’s little workshop before stepping out of the van and heading inside. Once the door was unlocked, Judy ushered V in and switched on the light.</p><p>“Welcome to my glorious kingdom,” Judy said as she spread her arms out wide.</p><p>V looked around the cubbyhole and let out a humorous prolonged whistle of surprise. “Judy Alvarez… preem BD editor and certified tech wiz… Don’t tell me you’re a netrunner by night now, too?”</p><p>“Sure I could easily pick it up if I had the time,” Judy grinned.</p><p>“No doubt,” V agreed.</p><p>Judy sat down on a chair, and got to work examining a broken pump. V grabbed a stool and sat down next to her.</p><p>“Judy… we, uhh… need to talk…” V said.</p><p>“’Bout what?”</p><p>“Those men… the ones who took you. Who were they?”</p><p>“Interpol, according to one of ‘em,” Judy revealed, still preoccupied with the object in her hands.</p><p>Nodding, V rested a palm on Judy’s thigh. “They’re gonna keep lookin’ for me. ‘N… I’m afraid I’ve dragged you into this mess. We can’t stay here.”</p><p>Judy put the pump down and looked at the merc. “V, let’s just… worry about that tomorrow, alright? Davey’s throwin’ a birthday party at the bar this evening.”</p><p>“Who?”</p><p>“Just a friend.” she paused. “Can we… can we take just this time to enjoy ourselves? Forget about everythin’… like we did before, when it was all too much.”</p><p>V knew Judy had gone through a rough patch. She deserved a respite. She deserved to be happy. Although V couldn’t shake the feeling that this was just the calm before the storm.</p><p>“’Course, Jude.”</p><p>V spotted a packet of smokes on one of the workbenches. She took a cig out, and offered one to Judy. On being refused, she lit hers up and took a drag.</p><p>They chatted for a few hours as V curiously watched Judy work her magic on all the broken pieces of equipment, occasionally helping by passing her various hand tools and replacement bits and bobs.</p><p> </p><p>With the fourth smoke in her mouth, V was scouring a shelf by the workshop’s entrance at Judy’s behest.</p><p>“So, uhh… what does an emergency induction port look like? V asked as she rifled through the boxes.</p><p>“It’s an aluminium flanged bushing with a rubber gasket on the outside diameter. It’s got an adjustable iris diaphragm attached in the middle,” Judy explained.</p><p>“Uhuh. I know some of those words,” V said.</p><p>Suddenly, they both heard a knock on the door. Whoever it was didn’t wait for an answer; the door opened. V stopped searching through the shelves and extinguished her cig.</p><p>A tall man dressed in a tan sheriff’s uniform stepped inside. He stood next to V, resting his hands on his belt.</p><p>“Alvarez,” he said.</p><p>Judy frowned at the man before pivoting back on her chair to tend to her work. “Cooke.”</p><p>Cooke swung around to face V. “Haven’t seen you before. ‘Round these parts, visitors pay the sheriff a visit, tell ‘im what brings ‘em here, et cetera.”</p><p>“This the guy, Jude?” V asked.</p><p>“Yeah…”</p><p>No doubt the sheriff would’ve interjected somehow, if it weren’t for the fact that V struck him in the neck with the heel of her composite ceramic palm. Like lightning, she followed up with a left jab to his jaw. Cooke stood no chance, and dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes.</p><p>“Think you’re hot shit, motherfucker?!” V thundered as she began kicking him with her golden foot. He yelled and groaned in pain, jerking with each blow.</p><p>“V, that’s enough!” Judy warned.</p><p>Head pounding, the merc could only see red. “Terrorising this town while in the corpos’ pockets, huh?! Piece of shit!” She landed a forceful kick to his stomach. Cooke howled in pain and cradled himself.</p><p>“V!” Judy cried out again.</p><p>The merc rolled Cooke on his back, and dug a knee into his torso. She grabbed him by the collar and started punching his face. “Think you could hand her over just like that?!”</p><p>“V! For fuck’s sake!”</p><p>Another punch. V slammed his head on the floor. “Actions have consequences, fucko!”</p><p>“Enough!!” V felt herself being pulled back by her shoulders. She staggered and landed on her bottom next to Cooke’s convulsing form. V watched him grab his bloodied face, whimpering and moaning in pain.</p><p>“What the fuck, V?!”</p><p>She looked up to find Judy’s razor-sharp scowl directed at her, standing akimbo.</p><p>“Rat fucks like him are a waste of space,” V seethed as she got up.</p><p>“Maybe, but d’you have to fuckin’ kill him?!”  </p><p>V avoided Judy’s gaze as the techie kept shooting daggers at her. The merc looked over the pathetic sight of the formerly-bumptious sheriff. She could still feel a vein throbbing in her forehead. “Guess it’s your lucky day, asshole.”</p><p>Robert Kaminski stepped inside the workshop. “Hey Ju-… oh.” Cooke’s groaning interrupted whatever he had to say.</p><p>“Bobby, can you get the nurse here or somethin’ please?” Judy pleaded.</p><p>“Uh… yeah, sure thing,” he said. “Just wanted to let you know Davey’s thing is starting.</p><p>“Alright, thanks…” She clenched her jaw. “Let’s go, V,” she tersely said.</p><p>They stepped outside the workshop. It was getting dark.</p><p>They crossed the street towards the bar. V was battling to suppress her anger.</p><p>“Sorry, Jude…”</p><p>Pursing her lips, Judy shot her an annoyed look. “The people in there don’t know what happened to me. Just… don’t mention Interpol, alright?”</p><p>“Alright.”</p><p> </p><p>They stepped inside the bar. The venue was buzzing with activity, with people joyously chatting away and imbibing various drinks. Country music that neither of them was familiar played from a jukebox.</p><p>Judy spotted David, Robert’s twin and the man of the hour, sitting at a table with Angela and a couple of other residents she wasn’t really acquainted with.</p><p>“Judy! Over here!” David beckoned her.</p><p>The pair headed over to the table, and sat down at a couple of empty chairs. The two residents excused themselves and left.</p><p>“You made it!” David exclaimed. “Who’s this?” he asked, looking at V.</p><p>“Angie, Davey… this is V, my…” she hesitated as she glanced at Angela.</p><p>“Output,” V finished with a smile.</p><p>“Cool!” Davey said, “From Night City, too?”</p><p>“Yeah,” V said.</p><p>Angela’s eyes were downcast.</p><p>“What happened to your forehead, Jude?” asked Davey, pointing to the bandaged wound.</p><p>“Hit my head against a shelf like a gonk. Y’know how my workshop is…”  </p><p>“Yeah, it is a bit packed in there isn’t it…? Oh, there he is!” Davey looked up as Bobby carefully approached them with a bunch of beer bottles held against his chest. He put them down on their table. They all grabbed a beer as Bobby sat down.</p><p>“Bobby, this is V – Judy’s output,” Davey said, hand outstretched towards the merc.</p><p>“Hey V, pleasure to meet ya,” Robert said.</p><p>“Likewise.”</p><p>Angie lifted her bottle up and looked at Davey. “Here’s to the birthday boy! Chin-chin!”</p><p>“Cheers!” they all exclaimed as they each took a swill of their drink.</p><p>Judy turned to Robert. “Is Cooke alright?” she asked.</p><p>“Yeah, couple of Max Docs and Bounce Backs and he should be good as new.”</p><p>“What happened to him?” asked Davey.</p><p>His brother was about to answer, but Judy interceded. “Had a little accident,” she said.</p><p>He looked mildly amused. “Oh… Can’t say I feel sorry for him,” said Davey.</p><p>They all let out a few chuckles.</p><p>“So, V, what brings you here?” Angie piped up.</p><p>“Just visitin’ for a bit.”</p><p>“What is it you do?”</p><p>“I’m a solo-…” V felt Judy knock her leg against her own under the table, as if to warn her.</p><p>“… artist,” V finished. Judy suppressed a smile.</p><p>“Oh? You mean like a musician?” asked Bobby.</p><p>“Yeah. Guitar player,” V apprehensively said. She cleared her throat.</p><p>“Right on!” Davey cheered. “What type of music?”</p><p>“Chrome-rock.”</p><p>“Hell yeah!” the twins effused in unison. “Got a favourite band… y’know, one that inspired you?” asked Bobby.</p><p>“Yeah…” V said. “Samurai.”</p><p>The two brothers could barely contain their excitement at the namedrop.</p><p>V and the twins spent the next little while gushing over Samurai, Johnny Silverhand and his exploits, the band’s songs, and their anti-corp messages which the pair found very appealing.</p><p>The jukebox played a country ballad as they chatted away.</p><p><em>“</em> <em>To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day,<br/>Hardly spoke to folks around him, didn't have too much to say,<br/>No one dared to ask his business, no one dared to make a slip,<br/>For the stranger there among them had a big iron on his hip,<br/>Big iron on his hip.”</em></p><p> </p><p>The group talked for hours about all manner of things in the midst of the jovial, raucous atmosphere of New Ashland’s bar. Judy’s friends directed all sorts of questions at V to get a better understanding of her. V did her best to answer without revealing too much about her dangerous profession and troubled past. They also spoke about New Ashland’s hydroponic farms - how it was all for the corpos’ benefit. V’s headache was back in full force.</p><p>All the while, V held Judy’s hand, perhaps as an apology for losing her temper with Cooke earlier. As for Judy, she couldn’t help but notice Angela avoid her gaze most of the time. They both must’ve felt weird about their last encounter.</p><p>V suddenly got up, and whispered in Judy’s ear. “Gonna head to the bar, get somethin’ a bit stronger.”</p><p>“Alright, V,” she said, somewhat puzzled.</p><p>The merc walked over to the bar, pulling a smoke out from one of her pockets. Lighting it, she beckoned the bartender over.</p><p>“What can I get you?” he asked.</p><p>“Got any Centzon?”</p><p>“Ayup.” The bartender got out an octagonal rocks glass and a bottle of Centzon Especial. He started pouring.</p><p>“Leave the bottle.”</p><p>“Sure thing,” he said as he walked away to tend to someone else.</p><p>V downed the glass in one go. She poured another one, and knocked it back too. She puffed on her cigarette. Another glass down.</p><p>She heard all the voices quiet down all of a sudden. There was a clinking sound. V turned around to see Bobby up from his seat; he was about to propose a toast.</p><p>“We all know why we’re here!” he exclaimed, looking around the room. “To celebrate the birthday of my wonderful big bro!”</p><p>There was a rupture of cheers and applauses. “Woah, woah, woah! Don’t go too crazy now!” Bobby warned. “We’ll all be back here tomorrow evening for my own birthday! Then… we can get the <em>real</em> party get started!”</p><p>The crowd burst into laughter, cheers and whistles. V took a few more gulps of tequila straight from the bottle.</p><p>“Happy birthday Davey!” Bobby raised his bottle at his brother.</p><p>“Happy birthday!” the crowd resounded.</p><p>Bobby started singing “For he’s a jolly good choomba…!”</p><p>The crowd started singing too.</p><p>
  <em>For he's a jolly good choomba, for he's a jolly good choomba!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>For he’s a jolly good chooooooomba! … Which nobody can deny!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Which nobody can deny! Which nobody can deny!</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>V turned back around and drank from the bottle some more. She heard the patrons of the bar clap and cheer once they’d finished singing. But there was more commotion - she could hear most of them excitedly move away from the seating area to the adjacent dance hall.</p><p>V felt a hand on her shoulder.</p><p>“They’re gonna start dancin’,” Judy said. She noticed the bottle in V’s hand. “Gonna finish that all by yourself?”</p><p>“Uhh… was just feelin’ a bit thirsty,” V faltered, putting the bottle down on the counter.</p><p>“So, wanna dance?” Judy asked with a smile.</p><p>V looked towards the crowd. The patrons were arranging themselves into lines. There were four lines of six people, with a couple of spots open next to Angie and the twins.</p><p>“Country music? Line dancing?” V asked. “Didn’t think it was your thing.”</p><p>“We’re in Bumblefuck, Oregon, V. That’s all they listen to here. C’mon, it’ll be fun.”</p><p>V felt her face getting flushed. “I dunno how to line dance.”</p><p>“I’ll teach you as we go along. C’mon!” Judy grabbed V by the hand and started dragging her towards the dance hall.</p><p>The song started playing. V heard an acoustic guitar blare through the speakers in the bar</p><p>“Hell yeah, V!” Davey cheered as Judy and her got in the back line next to the twins. Judy was stood closer to V so she could walk her through the dance.</p><p>“Two sidesteps to the right, two back to the left. One right, one left, jiggle in place.” Judy instructed.</p><p>A suave male voice with a country twang started singing, accompanied by piano, banjo, bass and percussions.</p><p>
  <em>“Well the midnight headlights blind you on a rainy night,<br/>Steep grade up ahead, slow me down, makin' no time,<br/>But I got to keep rollin'.</em>
</p><p>V fumbled through the steps as everyone else effortlessly went through the motions in sync.</p><p>“Two taps left foot, two right foot. Slide to the left, slide to the right. Three claps, V.”</p><p>
  <em>“Those windshield wipers slappin' out a tempo,<br/>Keepin' perfect rhythm with the song on the radio,<br/>But I got to keep rollin'.”</em>
</p><p>V did as Judy instructed, somewhat clumsily.</p><p>“Turn to the left. One right sidestep, one left, three quick sidesteps back and forth. Clap, kick, clap, kick.”</p><p>The lines of people moved as one. Cheers came from a few onlookers who remained by the tables. V teetered a bit as she swung to the left. Judy had to stabilise her.</p><p><em>“</em> <em>Ooh, I'm drivin' my life away, lookin' for a better way… for me,<br/>Ooh, I'm drivin' my life away, lookin' for a sunny day.”</em></p><p>“Left kick, right kick, three taps and claps. Swing back and forth four times. Keep clappin’.”</p><p>
  <em>“Well the truck stop cutie comin' on to me,<br/>Tried to talk me into a ride,<br/>Said I wouldn't be sorry,<br/>She was just a baby.”</em>
</p><p>V stood out like a sore thumb. She almost tripped as she swung back and forth, but Judy caught her with a small giggle.</p><p>“Now we repeat. Two steps to the right, two to the left. One right, one left, jiggle in place.”</p><p>V was starting to get the hang of it. They were repeating the previous motions.</p><p>
  <em>“Hey, waitress, pour me another cup of coffee,<br/>Pop it down, jack me up, shoot me out, flyin' down the highway,<br/>Lookin' for the mornin'.”</em>
</p><p>“Two taps, two slides, three claps. Then we turn to the left.”</p><p>Feeling a bit more confident, she got into the swing of it, no longer needing Judy to keep an arm close by in case she tripped.</p><p><em>“</em> <em>Ooh, I'm drivin' my life away, lookin' for a better way… for me,<br/>Ooh, I'm drivin' my life away, lookin' for a sunny day.”</em></p><p>V could remember the steps now. It was all repeating, with the lines of people turning to the left each time as the song progressed.</p><p><em>“</em> <em>Ooh, I'm drivin' my life away, lookin' for a better way… for me.”</em></p><p>Judy was impressed with how quickly V picked the dance up. She cheered her on. “You go, girl!”</p><p>
  <em>“Ooh, I'm drivin' my life away, lookin' for a sunny day.”</em>
</p><p>The flow of sidesteps, taps, claps, kicks and jiggles was now as smooth as butter.</p><p>The song finished with cheers and uproarious laughter from the lines of people. Another similarly upbeat song started playing. Judy knew this one too, and so she instructed V on the steps once more. The merc fumbled for a bit at the start, but quickly caught on yet again.</p><p>They carried on like that for a while. They had a blast.</p><p> </p><p>A very slow-beat romantic song was playing. The lines broke and people split into couples. They were slow dancing.</p><p>V wrapped her arms around Judy’s waist, while the techie draped hers on V’s shoulders. They looked at each other while slowly swaying back and forth and turning on the spot.</p><p>“This is nice,” Judy murmured.</p><p>“Mhm. Feels like it’s been so long since I’ve had a breather…”</p><p>“Tell me about it…”</p><p>A few more moments of silence. The song kept playing, and they gazed dotingly at each other.</p><p>“Y’know… your grandfather told me… ‘bout your mother,” V said.</p><p>“Oh?”</p><p>“Valéria was her name, right?”</p><p>“Yeah…”</p><p>“Doesn’t it weird you out? Y’know, with my name ‘n all…”</p><p>“Mmm… Don’t remember a thing about her. I see a picture, ‘n it’s just a face. Her name’s just a name, too.”</p><p>“Hmm…”</p><p>“What?” Judy asked.</p><p>“Think it’s just a coincidence? Or somethin’ more?”</p><p>“Like what?”</p><p>“I dunno… destiny? Like… we were meant to be?”</p><p>Judy’s lips curled up. Since when had V gotten so sentimental?</p><p>She did muse on V’s words, however. Fate had brought the two together, and they had both defied so many odds. But was it the hand of destiny that kept them united, or was it the unbreakable bond forged through all their trials and tribulations? She didn’t want to think about it too much, just now.</p><p>Judy rested her head on V’s shoulder. “Yeah, destiny… I like that.”</p><p>They continued gently swaying to the slow rhythm.</p><p> </p><p>After the song had ended, Judy spotted Angela sitting at a table by herself.</p><p>“Be back in a sec,” she said to V.</p><p>“Alright.”</p><p>Judy approached the table and sat down. Angela smiled at her, though Judy could sense trepidation tugging at the corners of her mouth.</p><p>“Hey Ang, ‘bout last time… I’m really sorry.”</p><p>“N-no, Judy. I should be the one apologising, coming between you two. I just thought… you said she was gone.”</p><p>“She… was,” Judy admitted. “Took me completely by surprise, too honestly.”</p><p>“Yeah, I can imagine…” Angie said. “Don’t worry about it, Jude.”</p><p>Judy nodded at her, then looked around the bar. It was quite late into the night, and a lot of folks had already left. The music had stopped, though there was still some quiet chatter from patrons, and the twins were also milling about talking to people.  </p><p>All of a sudden, Judy saw V approach from behind her. She had an acoustic guitar in her hand. V planted herself in front of Judy on the table she was sat at. She rested her feet on a chair and put the guitar down on her leg. It was as though she was ready to play.</p><p>“V, what’re you doin’?”</p><p>“Gonna play you a song,” V said with a wink.</p><p>
  <em>Since when can she play guitar?</em>
</p><p>V strummed the strings, playing a melancholic minor chord, followed by another one. The room had gone silent; everyone was listening in.</p><p>Judy’s heart started pounding. Her skin was tingling as she felt goosebumps. It was their song; she was playing their song!</p><p>V started humming.</p><p>“Hmm-hmm,<br/>Hmm-hmm,<br/>Hmm-HMM-hmm.”</p><p>V then picked at the strings fingerstyle, effortlessly playing each note and chord perfectly in her rendition of Etta Sorentino’s <em>Only You</em>.</p><p>V started singing the lyrics to the song. Judy’s jaw dropped; she had never heard V do that before.</p><p>V’s low contralto voice was tantalising, complimenting the song beautifully in stark contrast to the original singer’s soprano. The darker, warmer tone of V’s voice added more to the song, if anything. The chorus was bewitching.</p><p>“Twilight,<br/>Stars bright,<br/>Only<em> you.</em>”</p><p>“Dark night,<br/>Moonlight,<br/>Only<em> you.</em>”</p><p>At a loss for words, Judy had to cover her mouth to hide her quivering chin.</p><p>V never took her eyes of her as she sang and played the guitar. Each and every word she uttered was empyrean, uplifting Judy’s spirit to the high heavens. Yet they were also hauntingly mystical and measureless. It was paradoxical, but it was mesmerising nonetheless.</p><p>Judy’s lashes grew heavy with tears.  </p><p>“Blue sky,<br/>Birds high,<br/>Only<em> you.</em>”</p><p>“Eve's nigh,<br/>Soft sigh,<br/>Only<em> you.</em>”</p><p>Judy’s breathing was rapid and shallow as she had to wipe the tears away. Good thing she had no makeup on this time.</p><p>V sang some more stanzas. Then, the chorus once more.</p><p>“You came,<br/>Lit up my dim soul,<br/><em>Then.</em>”</p><p>“You're here,<br/>Love's inside me,<br/><em>Again.</em>”</p><p>Judy could hear a sob from one of the patrons. She was trying her best to stifle her own. She could see V was also misty-eyed, but carried on regardless.</p><p>“Day 'n night,<br/>All's right,<br/>Only<em> you.</em>”</p><p>“Day 'n night,<br/>All's right,<br/>There's only... <em>you</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>The song finished. A standing ovation.</p><p>V put the instrument down and embosomed a tremulous Judy. The thunderous applause and whistles continued. V lifted Judy’s head up, parting her fringe and wiping away the dewdrops on her cheeks.</p><p>“How… how did you do that?” the techie asked, eyes full of emotion.</p><p>“Guess I just… had it in me.”</p><p>Judy pulled the merc in for a kiss. “It was beautiful,” she whispered.</p><p>“Let’s delta the fuck outta here,” V murmured.</p><p>They said their goodbyes to Angie and the twins, then departed from the bar. They left the van in front of Judy’s workshop, opting to walk back to her grandparents’ instead. Slightly inebriated and floating on clouds of happiness, they both sniffled, laughed, and giggled along the way.</p><p> </p><p>They got back to the house. The Alvarezes were soundly asleep. Feeling like teenagers, they quietly made their way to Judy’s bedroom with hushed titters. Once they were both inside, Judy closed the door behind them. V was just about ready to hit the hay, until she noticed Judy give her a familiar look.</p><p>A coquettish, come-hither look she’d get every so often. Matters of carnal desire weren’t at the forefront of V’s concerns, but there was no resisting the temptation. V swallowed hard.</p><p>And took her top off. She motioned with an index finger for Judy to come closer. The pair of them unclothed one another, billing and cooing along the way. V felt herself dragged towards the bed, tumbling down back-first with Judy on top. Green-pink hair bristling her face, V could feel the young techie reacquainting herself with her body. Blithesome huffs and hushed moans filled the room. Judy was combing through every inch using her hands and her lips, from V’s face down to her navel - and lower still, exploring her flesh like a conquistador mapping the New World.</p><p>On that night, V felt no anger, no pain. No Mr. Blue Eyes. No Interpol. No sense of impeding doom. No vice crushing her chest. No rage against The Man.  </p><p>On that night, everything was right in the world.</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She heard Johnny’s voice echo throughout her mind.</p><p>
  <em>World’s a fuckin’ shitpit.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>… full of fuckin’ posers</em>
</p><p>
  <em>…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Rebels are made, V, not born. Made from the punches life throws at ‘em. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The punches they take.</em>
</p><p>The voice grew louder.</p><p>
  <em>…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Fight for beauty.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>…</em>
</p><p> Much louder.</p><p><em>…</em> <em>the world fucked me, V. It’s fucked you too. </em></p><p>
  <em>An’ it’s goin’ to keep fuckin’ you.</em>
</p><p>She felt like Johnny was right next to her. <em>Inside</em> her.</p><p>
  <em>There’s no runnin’ away from it.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>V opened her eyes in a cold sweat, heart racing, and breaths rapid. She saw Judy was laid still next to her, comfortably asleep as the little spoon.</p><p>V needed some air. She unwrapped herself from Judy and got out of the bed, putting her clothes back on as silently as possible. V then quietly crept back through the house and stepped outside.</p><p>It was almost the crack of dawn. She lit up a cigarette and folded her arms in front of her chest, deep in thought.</p><p>She didn’t want to get rid of Johnny’s memory. He did save her life, after all – twice. But it was getting difficult. During her time spent as Queen of the Afterlife, she still felt Johnny’s imprint on her. Now though? It was as though the Relic was back inside her head. She put a finger to the chipslot on the side of her skull, just to make sure it wasn’t occupied. It was a gonk thing to do, of course – the chip had been gone for months.</p><p>The mysterious messenger informed her that Night Corp had messed with her head. Was that why she was getting these dreams of Johnny? Hearing his voice? She needed to somehow find a way to reach Blue Eyes. If he worked for Night Corp, she would have his guts for garters.</p><p>V spotted a black cargo truck coming down the road in front of the Alvarez residence. As it drove by, she noticed the logo on its side. <em>Biotechnica</em>.</p><p>She couldn’t help it. She felt powerless against the volcano erupting within her. With a face like thunder, she balled her fists.</p><p><em>Motherfuckers</em>.</p><p>She’d been bothered by the idea ever since she came to town. She could almost <em>feel </em>Johnny call her a candy-ass. But that was not the case. She knew what she had to do.</p><p>The Interpol agents’ SUV was still parked out front. She opened the door, and retrieved Weyland’s tactical ammo vest. She put it on before closing the door and making her way to the town’s outskirts.</p><p> </p><p>Crouching and sneaking about, she reached the gated compound wherein the hydroponic greenhouses were located. Droids armed with submachine guns patrolled the perimeter as drones flew overhead. Though they looked intimidating, V knew they were fairly old tech.</p><p>Using her Kiroshi optics, she scanned for objects she could use as a distraction, and spotted a speaker placed on a pole high up in the middle of the compound. She uploaded a basic quickhack, causing static to hiss from it. All the droids turned their attention towards it.</p><p>V used the opportunity to approach. She drew closer to one of the droids. It had its back to her, staring up at the speaker. V used her monowire to garrotte it. The droid was decapitated. It collapsed to the ground with a clank.</p><p>V moved further in, approaching the front gate’s guardhouse from the side. Thanks to her fortified ankle cyberwear, she managed to jump up high enough to vault over the electrified fence, straight on the roof of the guardhouse.</p><p>Judy had divulged the compound’s weakness to her. The guardhouse was not, in fact, a guardhouse – there were no guards. It was a server room that controlled all of the old droids and drones that guarded the compound.</p><p>With the drones still distracted, she dropped down from the roof inside the compound, and busted the door down. The server room was chilly, dark and windowless. A blue glow emanated from all the little lights on the server stacks.</p><p>She pulled the last two remaining frag grenades from her vest and removed the pins. After tossing them inside, she bolted back out to put some distance herself and the server room.</p><p>A loud explosion shook the compound as the ball of fire spread upwards. She saw all the droids drop to the ground and all the drones fall from the sky.</p><p>She headed towards the Biotechnica truck that was parked in the compound’s courtyard. Getting inside, she noticed the key was in; she started the truck up. Putting it in gear, she floored the gas and drove straight through the main gate, taking it with the truck. V then slammed the brakes and stopped the truck in the middle of the road. The gate peeled off the truck’s grille, loudly clattering on the asphalt.</p><p>V then stepped out of the cabin, and headed towards the back. The plume of smoke from the destroyed guardhouse rose ever higher. She opened the back doors of the truck and clambered up inside. Lights automatically came on. The inside was refrigerated, storing the fresh produce for travel to the bigger cities. It was half-empty, as the other half was apparently meant to be loaded on today. Regardless, there were still all sorts of fresh fruit and vegetables neatly packed inside bins and baskets. V picked up a ripe-looking red apple, and took a bite out of it.</p><p>“What have you done?!” A man’s voice came from the back of the truck.</p><p>V about-faced to spot a town resident look at her in shock. V took another apple from the basket, and tossed it at him. The man caught it.</p><p>“That’s for you,” V said.</p><p>Wide-eyed, the man looked at the fruit, then back up to V, then back down to it, not knowing what to do.</p><p>“We can’t eat this!” he shouted.</p><p>“Course you can.”</p><p>V spotted two more residents at the back of the truck, looking equally horrified at her. Taking a bite of her own apple, V rummaged through some more bins, throwing an orange and a carrot at the residents. They were both deftly caught.</p><p>“Eat up!” V exclaimed.</p><p>A small crowd started to form at the back of the truck. Working quickly, V dug around through the shelves, throwing various fruits and vegetable out at the residents. Apples, pears, oranges, lettuce, tomatoes, peaches.</p><p>Amid the uproar and clamour, most townsfolk stared at the food in awe, as if they’d never seen it in their lives before. Some of them started biting down on the produce. V kept throwing more at them, as more people flocked towards the truck. Some of them even started outstretching their hands.</p><p>“Hey, gimme some!” came a voice.</p><p>“Me too!”</p><p>“This is all yours, people! Come and take it!” V proclaimed.</p><p>Some started climbing up inside the truck to peer at the baskets of goodies.</p><p>V took a full basket of fruit and emptied it at the crowd, mandarins flying everywhere. The cries of stupefaction turned into cheers of joy.</p><p>“I want one!” yelled a man.</p><p>“Over here!” shouted a woman.</p><p>V stretched her arms to her sides. “Come, this rightfully belongs to you - not those corpo fucks!”</p><p>More people got inside the truck, as many others ate the food that was thrown at them.</p><p>V’s aching skull let up a bit. Satisfied at the success of her mission, V got down from the truck and pushed past the crowd. The residents no longer paid her any mind, enthralled by their newfound liberty. Many people gathered around the truck, but more were heading inside the compound; some were even running and cheering.</p><p> </p><p>V was about to head back to the Alvarez residence, but she noticed she received a message. The contact was unknown.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>???</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Bonjour, V]<br/>[J'ai vu ta petite agression sur Interpol..] (I've watched your little assault against Interpol.)<br/>[Toi et moi allons nous amuser tellement!] (You and I are going to have so much fun!)<br/>[Je vais m'amuser à détruire cette petite ville.] (I’m going to enjoy destroying that little town.)<br/>[Mais s'il vous plaît, ne courez pas.] (But please, don’t run.)<br/>[Je détesterais que tu manques le spectacle!] (I would hate for you to miss the show!) </em>
</p><p> </p><p>V pondered for a moment whether it was a wise idea to respond. Curiosity got the better of her.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>V</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Who the fuck are you?]</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>The mysterious person was quick to respond.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>???</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Béatrice Fahida, à ton service.] (Béatrice Fahida, at your service.)<br/>[A bientôt!] (See you soon!)</em>
</p><p> </p><p>V felt a bit dizzy. People were still shouting and cheering over the liberation of the compound.</p><p>She knew she wouldn’t have been able to get away this easily; she knew she was going to be on the run. But this complicated things.</p><p>“V?”</p><p>V spun around to see Judy standing behind her, arms folded, with a disconcerted look on her face.</p><p>“Did you do this?” she queried, nodding at the burning guardhouse.</p><p>“Gave the people what ought to be theirs, Jude.”</p><p>“What the fuck, V?!”</p><p>V ran a hand down her scalp. “Sometimes you gotta grab the bull by the horns. They deserve to share in the fruits of their labour… uhh… literally.”</p><p>“Oh yeah? Do they also deserve gettin’ kicked out of here once Biotechnica shows up?! Fuck, V… how could you be such a gonk!”</p><p>“Listen Judy, we gotta get your grandparents and delta. Skip town.”</p><p>“What? Why?”</p><p>“ESA’s comin’ for me… comin’ for this place.”</p><p>Judy was bowled over. “Fuck…” she said, as she placed a palm on her forehead. “Biotechnica <em>and </em>the European Space Agency…?”</p><p>Judy massaged her temple. “You’ve fuckin’ doomed this town, V.”</p><p>V directed her gaze downward. Judy’s words were harsh, but perhaps they rang true. V looked around at the people. Blissfully ignorant of the reckoning they were likely to receive soon, they laughed and cheered as they scoffed on the forbidden foodstuffs; some no doubt doing so for the first time in their lives.</p><p>V felt like she did what she had to do. But did she want the blood of these people on her hands? What would Johnny have done now, she wondered?</p><p>Judy quietly observed V, watching her pace backwards and forwards with a blank stare.</p><p>She then saw V suddenly stir from her brooding. The merc stopped pacing, and her eyes turned orange, signifying she was on the holo to someone.</p><p>“Hey…” V said.</p><p>“… I know, I know, you’ve got a million questions. Look, I’m sorry!”</p><p>Judy wondered who V was speaking to.</p><p>“I’ll explain everything, I promise! Just, please, listen.”</p><p>V was silent for a while, listening to whoever she was talking to. Judy saw V occasionally pull a face. She was definitely getting a grilling.</p><p>“… You’re totally right. Look, I’m callin’ in that favour.”</p><p>Another pause.</p><p>“Yes, you’re right. I’m an asshole. Promise I got a good reason though.”</p><p>A longer pause.</p><p>Judy heard V let out a pained sigh.</p><p> </p><p>“Panam, I need your help.”  </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>It's been just over a month since I posted the first chapter on here! What a journey it's been so far!</p><p>Thank you all once again for reading, commenting, sending me messages and so on. </p><p>Truly, it makes me feel all mushy inside as I hope this chapter did you too.</p><p>* The song playing during the country line dancing is Eddie Rabbitt's "Drivin' My Life Away"</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Murphy's Law</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>War comes to New Ashland.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A spirited woman was making an impassioned appeal to a group of people.</p><p>They held their meeting al fresco, the awning attached to the cantina truck sheltering them from the sun’s unrelenting fusillade of heat. She was leaning forwards, with both palms resting on the head of the elongated picnic table everyone else was sat down at.</p><p>Panam Palmer’s caramel-skinned features glistened with perspiration in the blistering Nevada heat. The co-leader of the Aldecaldos nomad clan eyed each of her fellow members intently in an attempt to gauge their feelings. It took her a while to process the news she’d received. The gamut of expressions on her clanmates’ faces that formed after she’d shared what she’d learned ranged from mildly perplexed to utterly flabbergasted.</p><p>She briefly scratched her scalp; her bun-tied brunette dreads were doing her no favours in this weather. “We absolutely have to help her,” she concluded.</p><p>Saul Bright, the other co-leader of the clan, was sat on the opposite side of the table. With an arm folded and the other propping his bearded chin, he considered her words carefully with a downcast gaze.</p><p>“Welp, I don’t need any more convincin’.”</p><p>The first person to speak up was Cassidy Righter, one of the older veterans of the clan as well as one of the cooler heads in general.</p><p>He removed his cream-coloured cowboy hat and slicked back his grey hair. “Girl’s up shit creek, ‘n she needs us to fashion her a paddle. Le’ss do it,” he said, putting his hat back on.</p><p>“Couldn’t agree more.”</p><p>The ex-panzerboy and resident mechanic Mitch Anderson concurred with his peer. He wiped away some dirt from his green coverall using his prosthetic left arm before continuing.</p><p>“V’s like family for crying out loud,” he said. “I’m sure she’s had her reasons to go off the grid. We shouldn’t leave her high and dry.”</p><p>“I don’t like it,” said Carol Emeka.</p><p>Nicknamed <em>Agony Aunt Carol </em>by the others, the old techie, also a veteran of the Unification War, had a sour look on her face. Her steely gaze was partially concealed by her black sports shades.</p><p>She tucked away the long, brunette fringe of her sidecut. “Do we really want the ‘Caldos to suffer for this? Who knows what bigwig’s pinkie toes we’re going to step on if we go there,” she argued.</p><p>Another one of the veterans, Bob, piped up. “I don’t know, Carol. She’s done so much for us. She saved Jake’s life.”</p><p>Like Mitch, Bob was also a mechanic, in addition to being a combat medic. He was frowning at Carol whilst stroking his short anchor beard.</p><p>Teddy was a silent participant in the meeting. He adjusted the blue baseball cap on his bald head and bit his lip, chewing over everything that’d been said thus far.</p><p>“Where did you say she’s at right now, Panam?” asked Mitch.</p><p>“South Oregon, a place called New Ashland,” said Panam. She slightly pulled up the hem of her bardot bodysuit. Her sweat was causing it to slide down; the khaki-coloured chenille material was awful for the desert heat.</p><p>Teddy decided to speak his mind. “Doesn’t Biotechnica own most of Oregon? We really wanna piss them off by heading there since we, y’know, currently work for them and all?”</p><p>“Man, fuck Biotechnica!” interjected Bob. “We’ve been stuck in this rut for so long. I’m tired of guarding crops from Raffens. This isn’t us!”</p><p>Mitch leaned in to whisper to Cassidy, who was sat next to him. “Reckon this is going to cause Saul and Panam to be at loggerheads again?”</p><p>Cassidy shrugged at him.</p><p>“Damn it, this isn’t about Biotechnica. This is about helping one of our own,” Panam said. Her tone was icy. She couldn’t believe she had to convince them.</p><p>“She’s not one of our own, though,” Carol pointed out as she folded her arms in front of her chest.</p><p>“She may as well be!” retorted Mitch.</p><p>Teddy scoffed. “What are you, her spokesperson, Mitch? You heard the screamsheets. She’s the top dog in Night City. Why does she need our help?”</p><p>“It doesn’t matter why, Teddy. She’s family, and it’s our responsibility to help.”</p><p>“Why can’t she get her Afterlife pals to bust her ass out of whatever mess she’s in?” asked Carol.</p><p>“Listen, we’ve got a good thing going here,” Teddy started. “It’s not perfect, that’s true. The money’s alright and-…”</p><p>Bob interrupted him. “Alright? They pay us jack shit, man.”</p><p>“How much money do you fucking want, Bob?! You wanna go to Tahiti?!” yelled Teddy, shooting daggers at him.</p><p>“Tahiti’s underwater, dumbass.”</p><p>“Hey now, le’ss not get torn up about this, ya hear?” Cassidy intervened.</p><p>“We’re withering away, man. People have forgotten the Aldecaldos,” said Bob dejectedly.</p><p>Carol pursed her lips. “Maybe it’s you who’s withering away. You ever thought about leaving?”</p><p>“Carol, knock it off!” Panam warned.</p><p>“Look, right now we’re thankfully still in a position to help V,” said Mitch. “And Bob is right, we are withering away. We’re losing more and more rides by the week. Won’t be long until we’re known as the ragtag nomads with a bunch of rinky-dink clown cars. We need a shake-up.”</p><p>“And how exactly is fighting the European Space Agency on her behalf going to help us, Mitch?” inquired Carol sarcastically.</p><p>“Anything’s better than sitting on our asses here for a minute longer,” replied Bob.</p><p>“Seriously? V’s life is on the line, and we’re weighing the pros and cons of helping? Can’t believe this shit,” Panam said, throwing her arms up in the air and shaking her head.</p><p>Saul finished his musing. “Enough.” He got up from his chair. “Panam, do you want to do this?”</p><p>She narrowed her eyes and peered at him. “What kind of a question is that? Of course I want to help her.”</p><p>“Very well. Pack everything up and get ready to move within the hour. We’ll cross back into NorCal and head north. Should get there by nightfall.” He then walked off towards another part of the camp.</p><p>Carol, Bob and Teddy got up and left without a word, too.</p><p>“Well, was gettin’ tired of Carson City anyhow,” Cassidy said before departing.</p><p>Panam and Mitch remained at the table, each individually lost in their own thoughts.</p><p>“Could’ve sworn you two would’ve locked horns over this thing,” Mitch suddenly said.</p><p>Panam regarded him with an inquisitive look. “Hmph. Has there been a lot of gossiping?”</p><p>The panzerboy scratched his nose. “We’re just worried is all… since… well… I know you think this Biotechnica stint is small beans. But then I also thought Saul considers it the best thing since sliced synthbread, but maybe he’s pulled his head out of his caboose?”</p><p>“Saul’s not stupid, Mitch. He can see our prospects aren’t looking good,” replied Panam. She sat down on the edge of the table.</p><p>Mitch ran a hand through his thinning hair. “Yeah… maybe.”</p><p>“I hate it, Mitch. Being in a corporation’s pocket like this.” Panam pressed her lips into a thin line.</p><p>“Me too, Pan.”</p><p>The Aldecaldos’ co-leader let out a heavy sigh.</p><p>The burdens placed on her were high after she’d assumed the mantle of leadership; she couldn’t imagine doing this without Saul. Her family was extremely important to her – something V helped her recognise. The merc was instrumental in preserving the integrity of the Aldecaldos, both by saving Saul from the Wraiths and bringing Panam back into the fold. She would do anything to return the favour.</p><p>“Remember when V was spewing blood and collapsing all over the place?” Panam asked.</p><p>Mitch nodded. “Yeah?”</p><p>“She needed help then. And we offered to help, didn’t we? I said I’d do anything. And she could’ve asked us. But she didn’t. Know why?”</p><p>“Mhm. Assaulting ‘saka tower was dangerous. I assume she didn’t want any of our deaths on her conscience.”</p><p>Panam slammed the table with a palm. “Exactly.”</p><p>“Yeah… V’s a good egg,” Mitch said. “We’ll get to her, Panam. Don’t worry.”</p><p>She furrowed her brow. “I just hope we get to her in time.”</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Judy sat her grandparents down on the living room sofa. She planted herself on the coffee table opposite them.</p><p>“<em>¿Qué quieres decir con que tenemos que irnos?</em>” (What do you mean we have to leave?) Mama Alvarez asked.</p><p>“<em>Vienen a por ella,” </em>(They’re coming for her.) Judy said. “It’s not safe here anymore.”</p><p>“I thought you said they were gone? That she took care of them?” Papa Alvarez said, wrinkling his nose.</p><p>“They’re not givin’ up that easily…”</p><p>Mama Alvarez leaned forward to hold Judy’s hand. “<em>Entonces vendrás con nosotros,</em>” (Then you will come with us.) she said.</p><p>Judy’s gaze sank; she stared at her toes. “<em>Nana</em>, I have to be there for her.”</p><p>“<em>Dijiste que ella ya había llamado a sus amigos para pedir ayuda.</em>” (You said she’s already called her friends for help) her grandfather argued. “Please Judy, you have to leave with us.”</p><p>The techie looked back up to her grandfather. “She has but… I can’t. It’s not right – I have to stay with her too.”</p><p>“<em>¿Y qué hay de los demás?” </em>(What about everyone else?) her grandmother asked.</p><p>The front door opened just as Judy was about to answer.</p><p>They all turned their heads to the entrance, whereupon they saw V step inside with a wicker basket, closing the door back after her. She stepped towards Judy’s grandparents and handed Mama Alvarez the basket. It was covered with a white cloth.</p><p>Judy’s grandmother removed the cloth and peeped inside. She puckered her brow in confusion. “What is this?” she asked, goggling at the merc. </p><p>“It’s for you,” V said. “For when you leave.”</p><p>Mama Alvarez picked up an apple from the assortment of fruits and vegetables within. “We’re not allowed to have this.”</p><p>“You are, Mrs. Alvarez,” V affirmed. “This is all my fault, ‘n I dunno how to-…”</p><p>Judy interrupted her. “It doesn’t matter now.” She looked back at her grandparents. “Pack your things and take my van, alright? Head to Eugene.”  </p><p>Her grandparents looked at each other, then back at her.</p><p>“<em>¿Ahora mismo?</em>” (Right now?) her grandfather asked.</p><p>“Sí. Por favor, no discutáis,” (Yes. Please don’t argue.) Judy replied curtly.</p><p>Reluctantly, the elder Alvarezes eventually got up from the sofa and slowly shuffled towards their bedroom.</p><p>V sat down on one of the sofa’s armrests with a foreboding feeling churning within her gut, as if she were a small child gearing herself up to get a scolding.</p><p>Judy trained her brown eyes on the merc, digging into her. “Well?” she asked.</p><p>V sighed, staring at the floor with an empty look on her face. “Tried warning ‘em. They won’t listen. Too busy caught up turnin’ over the greenhouses.”   </p><p>“Fuckin’ great, V.”</p><p>“Judy, I’m sorry. I know I screwed the pooch…”</p><p>The techie got up from the coffee table and started pacing around the living room with her arms folded. “Oh, okay. Everythin’ ‘s’alright now that V knows she’s fucked up!” Judy exclaimed sardonically. She pinched the bridge of her nose. “<em>Ya valió verga</em>…” (Everything’s fucked.)</p><p>“I… I just couldn’t help it. I know this wasn’t the right time with everythin’ goin’ on… but I couldn’t take it, seein’ you all as nothin’ more than corpo serfs.”</p><p>Judy stopped pacing. “’Wasn’t the right time?’ Wouldn’t ever have been the right time, V!”</p><p>“But… Jude,” V hesitated. “I mean… look at this place,” she said, spreading her arms out before dropping them back down. “Water rationin’? Eatin’ nothin’ but scop? Workers gettin’ paid in Biotechnica vouchers and not eddies? Sheriff playin’ God?”</p><p>Judy let out an exasperated sigh. “These people came here because they had nothin’, V. This place gave ‘em a roof over their heads, food on their table, warm beds to sleep in…”</p><p>The merc’s guilt suddenly gave way. A strange feeling wriggled its way inside her mind as the woman in front of her made the case for the corporatist protectorate they were currently in. A part of her felt it was illogical; she wouldn’t have given the subject of their discussion a second thought a few months before. The other part of her was vexed by what she was hearing, for there was a faint glimmer of hope that, despite her making a dog’s dinner of things, Judy would understand. But V felt a sense of betrayal. The jackhammer to her head was back.</p><p>V got up from the sofa. “And what’s the price they had to pay for all this, Judy? ‘Sign here across the dotted line and we’ll have your soul, thank you very much!’ Fuck that! You of all people should know better.”</p><p>Judy wrinkled her forehead. “The fuck’s that supposed to mean?” she glowered.</p><p>“Alright…” V started. “’Member you told me your mother died ‘cause of the worker lodgings Petrochem built for its refinery? Carbon monoxide poisonin’? Should I mention NC Dam Ltd kickin’ you outta your home and floodin’ it – for no reason, in the end, ‘cause of the toxic water? How about when the pigs locked you up for fixin’ that fire truck – throwin’ you inside the group home ‘cause Night City needed to fill its juvie detention quotas for NorCal Prisons Inc?”</p><p>Judy said nothing and continued scowling at the merc. The cords of her tense jaw muscles popped into view. Could she have detected a distant echo of truth in V’s reasoning?</p><p>“To the corps, we’re nothin’ but dogs tearin’ at each other’s throats for scraps at their table,” V said morosely. “Thought I was doin’ the right thing, breakin’ some of those chains.”</p><p>There was a long moment of silence. The air was as tense as a bowstring.</p><p>“You’ve changed, V. You an anarchist now, huh?” Judy remarked. “Think I haven’t noticed the booze? Haven’t noticed you smokin’ like a chimney…? Shit, didn’t realise Silverhand’s never left. How long ‘till you start huffing ‘Dorph, V? ‘Till you start poppin’ Blue Glass?”</p><p>V frowned at her. “C’mon, Jude…”</p><p>“I just don’t know what the hell is up with you.”</p><p>She studied V as the merc suddenly got her phone out of her pocket and looked at the screen. She was reading something, perhaps a holo message? She noticed V’s lips form a faint smile, before she pressed them back together and looked at Judy.</p><p>“Panam’s comin’,” V announced. She got lost in thought for a second before snapping back to reality. “Johnny may have been an asshole, Judy, but he had the right of it.”</p><p>V then walked back towards the entrance. “Gonna go knock on every door, get as many people out as I can.” She opened the door; but just as she was about to head outside, she turned her head to favour Judy with one last longing look. “Go with your grandparents,” she urged, before promptly departing and closing the door behind her.</p><p> </p><p>Judy stood alone in the middle of the room, thoughts swirling inside her head like water in a maelstrom. Why was V acting so off? Something definitely happened to her during those three blacked-out months. Was she no longer the same person? V had done the sweetest thing last night, singing their song enchantingly out of the blue; yet this only further confounded matters. Indeed, nothing is ever simple when it comes to V, and so it has been since they’d met nearly half a year ago. All the more reason not to leave.</p><p>She could feel the tears trickling down. She quickly wiped them away and made for her grandparents’ bedroom to check up on them. She could hear her grandfather talking as she stopped by the bedroom’s entrance.</p><p>“… <em>Sabíamos que esto no iba a durar, María.” </em>(We knew this wasn’t going to last, María.)</p><p>Judy saw her grandparents pack their clothes away inside suitcases. She knocked on the doorframe. “Hey…”</p><p>They both turned around to look at her.</p><p>“<em>Hijita</em>, please tell me you’ve changed your mind. Let’s leave together, <em>por favor</em>,” her grandmother pleaded.</p><p>Judy shook her head. “I’m staying, <em>nana</em>. I gotta go now, get as many people to leave as I can,” she said. She then initiated a short-wave money transfer.</p><p>Her grandmother’s eyes started glowing the familiar azure blue as a loading bar appeared in Judy’s vision.</p><p>“Use this to lay low in Eugene for a while. We’ll figure out the rest later.”</p><p>“No, Judy. <em>¡Esto es demasiado eurodólares!</em>” (This is too much money!) her grandmother said concernedly.</p><p>“Please, just take it.”</p><p>The transfer had finalised and the loading bar disappeared.</p><p>Her grandfather dropped some clothes on the bed and walked over to his granddaughter to embrace her. “<em>Te habría arrastrado con nosotros si fuera necesario,</em>” (I would’ve dragged you away with us if needed.) he said. He pulled away to look at her. “<em>Pero está claro que te preocupas por ella, así que no te haré eso.</em>” (But it’s clear you care about her, so I won’t do that to you.)</p><p>Her grandmother walked up to her to give her a hug as well. “<em>Siempre fuiste una luchadora</em>. Pero… <em>por favor, ten cuidado,</em>” (You were always a fighter. Just… please be careful.)</p><p>“I will, <em>lo prometo.</em> Don’t worry about me. I’ll call you once things settle down here.” Judy got the key to the Sea Dragon out of a pocket in her overalls and handed it to her grandfather. “Leave within the hour, okay?”</p><p>“<em>Lo haremos,</em>” (We will.) he nodded.</p><p> </p><p>They said their lachrymose goodbyes before Judy left the bedroom, walking back down the hallway and through the living room to step outside. She was about to make for her workshop, before spotting Robert, David and Angela running down the street towards her. Judy walked to up to meet them as they stopped before her, huffing and puffing.</p><p>“Guys, what’s goin’ on?” Judy said anxiously, with her gaze darting between the three.</p><p>David spoke up between wheezes. “V’s going round telling everyone the town’s going to get attacked… that we should all leave,” he breathed heavily.</p><p>“It’s true…” Judy confirmed.</p><p>The three looked ill at ease. “How does she know this? Who’s coming?” asked Robert.</p><p>“Look, guys, it’s a long story. The people who are comin’ mean business. Get everyone who’s got wheels to leave right now, please.”</p><p>“Jude… no-one’s going to believe us if we go ‘round throwing these wild claims,” Angie noted.</p><p>Judy crossed her arms and looked to the side in thought. Perhaps she had a point.</p><p>Her gaze sprang back to them. “Alright,” she said. “European Space Agency’s comin’. They’re huntin’ V down ‘n they know she’s here. And no, before you ask – it wouldn’t have made a difference if she’d left. They’re intent on burnin’ this place down anyway. I saw their message.”</p><p>They glanced at each other with incredulity. “But Biotechnica owns this place,” said Robert.</p><p>“ESA apparently doesn’t give a shit, Bobby.”</p><p>“Where’s Cooke - shouldn’t he be dealing with all this?” asked David.</p><p>Judy mentally cursed V’s recklessness. “Still out of it, I think,” she sighed. “Look, guys, I’m really sorry about this. But this is serious… Please, help her spread the word, townsfolk are more likely to listen to you. Then pack your bags ‘n leave too.”</p><p>“Fuck…” Bobby ran a hand through his dark brown hair. “How much time do we have?”</p><p>She hesitated for a moment. “… got no idea,” came the response.  </p><p>“What about you, Jude?” asked Angie, her face laden with worry.</p><p>“Gonna see if I can fix that broken bus for folks to leave in… then I’ll be stayin’.” The look on her face oozed determination.</p><p>“B-but… they’ll kill you?”</p><p>Judy made the effort to sound reassuring. “V called in some nomads to protect the town… I’ll be fine.”</p><p>The three looked at each other again, dumbfounded. “Nomads? Which clan?” asked David.</p><p>“The Aldecaldos,” replied Judy.</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p>A violent sandstorm blew across the Modoc Plateau desert.</p><p>The twenty-foot-high wall of dust seemed to be chasing something, shrouding everything in a pall of coppery haze as it traversed the landscape. On closer inspection, a couple of dozen or so heavily-modified nomad vehicles seemed to be the culprits: large Kaukaz heavy-duty trucks; Thorton Warhose and Colby pick-ups; Archer Sidewinder and Thorton Gecko hatchbacks, Mizutani Coyote and Quadra Type-66 Reaver sportscars - all jointly conjured the cloudy mass of sand in their wake.</p><p>Travelling in a wedge, the Aldecaldos’ convoy raced northwards towards the Oregonian border. The <em>Rouge Raxxa</em>, the clan’s Basilisk hovertank they stole from Militech, led the vehicles as the vanguard. Panam and Mitch were inside, both piloting the tank whilst neurally linked and synchronised.</p><p>Mitch stretched his arms out and cracked his neck before staring back out through the tank’s CrystalDome windscreen. “Boy, it sure is nice taking her out for a spin again,” he commented as he gently patted the co-pilot’s control column. “She was turning into a right old rust bucket.”</p><p>“Agreed. It’s nice to be back on the road,” said Panam.</p><p>“Mhm. We’re nomads, Pan – rovers. We weren’t meant to plant our asses in one place. We’re supposed to be married to these here leather seats, wind blowing in our faces and sun beating down on our napes.”</p><p>Panam looked over to him. “Why are you preaching to the choir, Mitch?” she inquired with a smile.</p><p>The old panzerboy sighed. “It’s just that… well, I thought you’ve come ‘round to Saul’s way of thinking. If only to just keep the waters calm…”</p><p>“Saul and I are like yin and yang, Mitch. Don’t think that will ever happen.” Panam chuckled.</p><p>“Like what now?”</p><p>“Umm… two sides of the same coin. We want the same thing, but we’re diametrically opposite.</p><p>“Oh, I hear you,” Mitch nodded. “I’m just glad you two are always able to smooth those rough edges out for our sake.”</p><p>“Mostly comes from me refusing to rock the boat. Comes with the territory, I suppose.”</p><p>Mitch reached across the cockpit to place a hand on her shoulder. “You’ve the makings of a great leader, Pan. Done a stellar job keeping us afloat so far.”</p><p>“Thanks, Mitch.”</p><p>The radio suddenly crackled to life. “Panam, Mitch, come in.”</p><p>“We read you Saul,” replied the nomads’ co-leader.</p><p>“The Kress Wall is four klicks away. Should come into view any moment now,” he announced. “Next drone patrol is supposedly twenty minutes away, so let’s punch through hell-for-leather.”</p><p>“Copy that, priming the autocannon,” said Mitch.  </p><p>The radio went silent as Saul stopped transmitting.</p><p>Panam pressed a few buttons and flicked some switches on the control column. “Let’s hope Dakota’s intel is solid. Supposed to be a bush-league patch job done on this portion of the wall.”</p><p>“Hmm, I’d wager Raxxa could easily breach the wall proper… Calibrating the rangefinder now,” informed Mitch.</p><p>“Regardless, we don’t want their border patrol spotting us,” cautioned Panam.</p><p> </p><p>The convoy drove onward for a few more minutes. The corrugated metal slabs of the famous Kress Wall came into view, growing taller and taller as they gradually approached it. Panam and Mitch then slowed the hovertank to a stop some fifty meters away from the wall, with the other vehicles in the convoy following suit.</p><p>“Well, there it is in all its glory,” Mitch smirked.</p><p>The large twelve-foot-wide breach in the wall was indeed hastily mended with a patch of concrete that stood about three quarters of the height of the original black metal slabs that flanked it.  </p><p>There was a brief hiss from the radio once more, with Saul’s voice coming from it. “Alright, you two. Bring it down so we can make ourselves scarce.”</p><p>“Over to you, Mitch,” said Panam.</p><p>“Alright, let’s have a look…” Mitch said as he operated various knobs, dials and buttons. “Ammo - check. Autoloaders - check. Locking on target…”</p><p>They could hear the rotors and servos whirr as the autocannon rotated to lock on the fence.</p><p>“And… firing!”</p><p>…</p><p>Nothing happened.</p><p>“Uhh… firing?”</p><p>…</p><p>Panam looked to her right at the panzerboy. “Something wrong, Mitch?”</p><p>“I’m telling her to fire, but it’s not registering the command.”</p><p>“Huh, that’s weird. You’re definitely linked up with it - I can feel you thinking the command.”</p><p><em>Bzzt</em>. Another radio transmission; it was Carol this time. “Guys, sensors are picking up movement from the west. Coming in fast.”</p><p>“Must be the drone patrol,” said Mitch. “Push comes to shove, we can take ‘em, right?”</p><p>Panam wrinkled her nose. “I’d rather we didn’t attract unwanted attention to ourselves. Let me try, Mitch…”</p><p>She focused her thoughts on the wall, channelling her intent through the Basilisk’s neural link. “And… firing!”</p><p>…</p><p>There were still no resounding booms from the cannon.</p><p>“No luck either, huh?” Mitch asked. “When was the last time we had to use its weapon systems?”</p><p>“Umm, back when V and I chased the Raffens away from our old camp. But that was before we upgraded them.”</p><p>“Damn, it’s been a long while then.”</p><p>“Guys, whatever’s coming is about three minutes away. Maybe less,” Carol warned on the holo.</p><p>“Fuck it. Mitch, fire the missles,” Panam instructed.</p><p>“Won’t Saul flip his lid?”</p><p>“Just do it.”</p><p>“Alright… target locked. Here goes…”</p><p>The two were relieved to hear the rapid-fire <em>fwoom</em> sound of each missle being hurled towards its target. The explosions followed shortly after as the fence was destroyed.</p><p>Panam wiped the sweat from her brow. “Well, thank fuck!”</p><p>“Punch it, Panam!” yelled Mitch.</p><p>The co-leader broadcasted the announcement on the radio channel. “We’re moving out! Let’s go!”</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It was getting dark.</p><p>V was stood next to the town’s main road, idly watching the sun dip below the ruddy Oregonian hills as an orange tinge permeated the dimming sky. A few residents she’d warned earlier warily eyed her as they went about their evening.</p><p>She was still wearing the tactical vest she put on in the morning. Weyland’s gun was also slung on her shoulder, having removed it from the SUV she took from Interpol. She gave its keys to a family who listened to her plea to escape. She’d spent the day running around town knocking on doors, but she reckoned many still hadn’t left.</p><p>Her headache was killing her. Feeling resigned, V walked towards the town’s bar. She glanced across the road to her left where Judy’s workshop stood. There were no lights coming from inside – Judy must’ve skipped town. At least she was safe.</p><p>After walking up the steps and heading inside the bar, she could see the interior was deserted. The barman was the only soul inside, diligently wiping away at the wooden surface of the bar with a discoloured rag. V walked towards it, plunking herself onto a barstool. The bartender looked at her and draped the rag over his shoulder before making his way closer to her.</p><p>He stopped in front of her, resting his hands on the countertop. “Well, you look like you’re ready for war,” he said.</p><p>V scoffed. “Oh, war’s definitely a-comin’… doubt I’m ready for it, though.”</p><p>“Hmph. What’ll it be then? We’re out of Centzon,” said the bartender.</p><p>“Gimme anythin’ you got.”</p><p>“Whiskey?”</p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>He produced a rocks glass and a bottle of O’Dickin Irish whiskey. Amber liquid cascaded into the glass as the bartended filled it about a third of the way full.</p><p>V picked the glass up before knocking it back and slamming it down on the counter. “How come you’re still here? Told you trouble’s brewin’,” she said.</p><p>The bartender looked around his establishment before fixing his gaze back on the merc. “This here’s my ship, kid. If it’s going down, I’ll be going down with it.”</p><p>“You’re shittin’ me. This place belongs to the corp.”</p><p>The bartender chuckled. “Yup, just pulling your leg. My pick-up’s round back. Just wanted to give this place a clean before leaving.”</p><p>V let out a huff of amusement, tapping the bar with two fingers; he refilled her glass.</p><p>She knocked that one back, too. “So you’re not angry at me? For playin’ merry hell with the town?”</p><p>He knitted his brow in thought before replying. “I don’t mind heading back on the open road. Used to run with a nomad clan.”</p><p>“Which one?” asked V.</p><p>“Bakkers, back before they joined Snake Nation…” He covered his mouth and let out a chesty cough before continuing. “As for you, well, I guess we’ve all pissed on someone’s chips before. We’ve all got our own ghosts chasing us,” he said.</p><p>“Well, my ghosts are might angry.” She rubbed her temple. “Ever rob a space station to keep yourself alive, accidentally blowin’ it up and killin’ thousands in the process?”</p><p>The bartender cocked an eyebrow. He poured her another glass. “That bad, huh?”</p><p>She guzzled it down in one go. “You don’t know the half of it.”</p><p>“Hmm… if you want absolution, you’re shit out of luck. Padre from the All-Faiths church next door has left town.”</p><p>V tapped the bar again; she quaffed the drink after it was refilled. She then got up from the barstool. “I’m way beyond absolution.” She transferred him the eddies for the drinks.</p><p>He rubbed his bald head. “Making yourself sound like a bona fide badass? Heh, not easily impressed, kid.”</p><p>V shook her head. “I’m not a badass.” She turned around and made for the entrance, but stopped halfway to address the bartender again. “Used to be I was afraid of dyin’ without bein’ remembered - erased from existence, without anyone knowin’ that I mattered.”</p><p>The man grunted. “Yeah? And now?”</p><p>“Now…?” She paused to reflect. “Now I’m afraid of dyin’ alone.”</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It was dark outside. The moon was a bright crescent amid the star-flecked inky ether.</p><p>Judy had turned on the tripod work lights behind her workshop to see what she was doing, while a chooh generator that thrummed to the side powered them. A crowd of people sat on their suitcases, waiting for her to finish in order to depart in the vehicle. Many of them had baskets of fruit and vegetables next to them, too.</p><p>Judy was working the engine bay at the back of the bus. The main drive belt was the last thing she needed to replace, miraculously finding a spare in one of the scrap heaps behind her workshop. She was finishing up, tightening the belt tensioner pulley with a ratchet spanner. Once she was happy with the tension, she put the tool away and looked at her hands; they were caked in grease. She wiped them on a nearby rag as she made her way back to the front of the bus.</p><p>She could feel the pressure from the dozens of pairs of eyes trained on her as the would-be refugees observed her working. She stepped inside the bus and pressed the ignition. It had to work this time.</p><p>The starter motor cranked the engine… And it roared to life! Judy could hear cheers and applauses coming from the crowd outside as the engine idly rumbled away. She stepped out of the bus and stood next to the door, with the crowd of people rushing to step inside. Some of them hugged her, others patted her shoulder, squeezed her arm, or shook her hand.</p><p>“Bless you, Judy!” said a woman.</p><p>“You’re a miracle-worker,” enthused a man.</p><p>Once all the people had hopped inside, Bobby, Davey and Angie were the last left in the crowd. They approached the techie, each taking turns at hugging her and saying their goodbyes.</p><p>“Are you sure you don’t wanna come with us?” asked Angie.</p><p>It was harder putting a brave face on with how tired she was. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine,” she smiled. “Where’re you gonna drive ‘em, Davey?”</p><p>“Biotechnica branch in Eugene. They’ll take care of us, right? We signed contracts and everything,” he said.  </p><p>Judy’s lips curled into a thin smile as she nodded reassuringly. “Take care of yourselves.”</p><p>“You too, Jude,” said Bobby.</p><p>The twins hopped into the bus with their luggage. Angie stepped closer to Judy, carrying a familiar-looking shoebox which she then offered to her.</p><p>Slightly confused, Judy opened her box to look inside. She spotted a bag. The dimples in her cheeks deepened. “Strawberries?”</p><p>Angie nodded. “I… I don’t wanna think about it, but… this could be the last time I ever see you.”</p><p>Judy pulled her in for a hug. “It won’t be. I promise.”</p><p>“Don’t make promises you don’t know if you can keep,” Angie said with a quaky voice.</p><p>“I’ll keep it, Ange. You’ll see.”</p><p>After a long embrace, Angela got inside the bus as Judy closed the engine bay cover at the back. The bus then drove off, with a few waves coming from the townspeople that were inside.</p><p>The techie was left alone clutching the shoebox in the backyard of her workshop, with the bright work lights casting long shadows of her on the ground.</p><p>Shortly after the bus could no longer be seen or heard, someone called out her name.</p><p>“Judy?”</p><p>She turned around to spot an armed-and-geared V stood next to the workshop with her brow furrowed.</p><p>“I told you to leave, it’s not safe,” she said.</p><p>Judy sighed. “It’s not your call. I’m stayin’ to help you.”</p><p>“How? You can’t fight ‘em.”</p><p>“I can handle myself, V!” Judy snapped.</p><p>The merc started walking towards her. “Damn it Judy, they aren’t the two-bit Lace-addled scavs you fought at the Power Plant. They’re trained killers. Even I had trouble with ‘em – you saw what they did to me.” She placed a hand on Judy’s shoulder. “Please.”</p><p>Judy’s eyelids fluttered as she tilted her head down, gaze shifting from side to side. V had a point, but there had to be a way to help out.</p><p>“Uhh… there’s sensors placed around the town a few miles out. Early warnin’ system, installed in case Raffens or other bandits decided to pay us a visit. I could… monitor ‘em… from Cooke’s office?”</p><p>“Not gonna take no for an answer, are you?” V narrowed her eyes.</p><p>Judy looked back up at her. “Guess your stubbornness rubbed off on me.”</p><p>V tried shook her head as she failed to suppress a smile. “Alright… lead the way.”</p><p> </p><p>They circled the back of the workshop, returning to the main road and walking down towards the sheriff’s office and lockup. They then stepped inside the small building.</p><p>Four tiny jail cells formed solely of rusty iron bars flanked the entrance, two placed on opposite sides of the narrow walkway. They lacked any occupants, with nothing but sleeping bags and buckets inside them. Further down, Cooke’s desk could be seen, with an array of small surveillance monitors mounted on the wall next to it.</p><p>Judy occupied the desk, while V turned her attention toward the opposite side of the room that was sealed off by a chain-link fence. She used her cybernetic leg to kick in the gate, gaining access to the Cooke’s small armoury. An assortment of assault rifles, SMGs, semi-automatic shotguns, grenades and ammo boxes was inside - not dissimilar to V’s own cache back in Night City.</p><p>“Cooke’s the only lawman in town, right?” V asked. “Why’s he packin’ so much iron?”</p><p>“Your guess’s as good as mine,” replied Judy. “Maybe he liked lookin’ at his collection?”</p><p>V chuckled as she inspected the weaponry. She picked up some grenades and compatible magazines for Weyland’s assault rifle. She then grabbed a dual shoulder holster, equipping two Militech Omaha tech pistols. Finally, she put on a bandolier with shotgun shells and strapped a stockless M2038 power shotgun to the back of her waist. She walked out of the armoury and pulled up a chair to sit down next to Judy, unslinging her assault rifle and propping it against Cooke’s desk.</p><p>Judy eyed her up. “Damn, V…”</p><p>The merc shrugged. “Gotta be a one-woman army,” she said, looking at herself. “Doubt even this is gonna cut it, to be honest.”</p><p>“What about Delamain?” asked Judy.</p><p>“Asshole says he’s out of available birds,” replied V. She then got a packet of cigarettes out of one of her vest’s pockets, pulling a smoke out and lighting it.</p><p>“Not gonna offer me one?” Judy asked coyly.</p><p>V instinctively reached to pull one out but caught herself midway. She put the pack back in her pocket. “No. Shit’s bad for you.”</p><p>Judy thinly smiled. The smoke assaulted her nostrils, but she didn’t complain.</p><p>
  <em>Mama bear gonk.</em>
</p><p>V placed an Arasaka Yukimura on the desk, sliding it towards her. “A smart pistol. Still got your Link?”</p><p>“Yeah…” she nodded as she showed V the implant on her wrist before grabbing the gun.</p><p>The merc sighed. “Did promise I’d teach you how to shoot…” she lamented.</p><p>“You will.”</p><p>A comforting thought. It was a positiveness that helped dispel the foretoken inside V’s troubled mind – that letting her stay was a huge mistake; that the Aldecaldos won’t get there in time; that their help won’t be enough… and that Judy will pay the ultimate price for V’s transgressions. The headache was an eternal reminder of them.</p><p>V massaged her forehead. “What’re we lookin’ at?”</p><p>“Got the surveillance cams around town.” Judy gestured at the monitors on the wall next to her. She then pointed to a monitor on the desk. It displayed a white grid on a black background. “And here, we’ve got the early warnin’ sensors. They’ll tell us which way they’re comin’ from. Then, I stay on the holo to you ‘n use the cams to keep track of ‘em and warn you.”</p><p>“Alright. I’ll booby trap the front door with some grenades,” said V.</p><p>“Uhh…”</p><p>“Don’t argue. If things go south, use that window to escape,” V pointed towards the back wall. “Then, you delta the fuck outta here, and don’t look back. You understand me?”</p><p>Judy could see there was no debating the decisiveness behind her words. She swallowed hard and nodded.</p><p>“Alright,” V remarked. “There’s just one small hitch. Can’t get on the holo to you.”</p><p>“Why not?”</p><p>“You removed me from your contacts, ‘member?”</p><p>Judy stiffened as her breath got caught in her throat. She felt moisture prickling at her eyes. “I… I-…” She felt V gently grab her hand.</p><p>“I get it, Jude,” V said. “You wanted to move on. I wanted you to move on, too.”</p><p>“I-I’m so sorry, V.”</p><p>V wrapped her arms around her. “No, it’s me who should be sorry. For this mornin’. For screwin’ up, over and over again. For everythin’.”</p><p>Judy broke the embrace to look at the merc as she wiped her eyes. “N-No…” she said. “You were right, in a way…”</p><p>“How do you mean?” V asked.</p><p>Judy let out a sigh. “My grandparents were about to get kicked out, ‘fore I moved in with them.”</p><p>V’s blood started boiling again. “Why?” she asked.</p><p>Judy looked down at her hands and started slowly massaging her calloused hands. “<em>Nono</em>… he, uhh… wasn’t keepin’ up with his duties. And then he hurt himself ‘n got bedridden. Had to work overtime to keep the corp off our case.”</p><p>V shook her head. “Those heartless fuckers.”</p><p>Judy focused back on the merc. “It wasn’t a great time, V… but I understand why you did it,” she said.</p><p>“Sorry Jude. You had every right to be mad.”  </p><p>“I-I’m not anymore… I don’t want things to be like this, i-in case-…”</p><p>The merc pressed an index finger to Judy’s lips. With a broadening smile, V rubbed her thumb along Judy’s jaw as the techie mirrored her expression with inviting warmth. The magnetic aura that filled the air pulled them together like a primordial force. Their lips met.</p><p>Bellows fanned the hearths of their souls once more, fires blazing in sweet conflagration. What was the burden of their daily tribulations to the freedom of such a moment? What was the terribleness of reality to the blissfulness of their slice of heaven? What was the looming possibility of death to the surety of their bond?</p><p>They had each other. That was all that mattered.</p><p> </p><p>Judy got her phone out and readded V to her contacts, restoring all prior conversation history. She flipped the phone around to show the merc her page.</p><p>V looked at the phone and furrowed her brow.</p><p>
  <em>[V]</em>
</p><p>“Hmm… you’ve misspelt it,” she noted.</p><p>Briefly confused at how she could misspell a single letter, the penny dropped thereafter. Judy quickly fixed her mistake and turned the phone back around.</p><p>The merc squinted at the screen.</p><p>
  <em>[calabacita&lt;3]</em>
</p><p>“Much better,” V smiled. “So, what’s in there?” V nodded towards the shoebox Judy placed on the desk.</p><p>“Oh… strawberries. From Angie. A partin’ gift, I guess… she really liked ‘em.” Judy opened the box and unsealed the bag.</p><p>“You’ll see her again, Jude. I’ll make sure of it,” V reassured.</p><p>They chatted for a bit whilst enjoying the formerly-forbidden fruit.</p><p>Suddenly, one of the monitors started beeping - it was the early warning system.</p><p>They both turned to look at it. The sensors picked up activity on the bottom right-hand side of the grid as a bright white dot appeared.</p><p>“One dot? V asked, peering at the screen.</p><p><em>Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. </em>More dots appeared on the screen.</p><p>“Shit,” V said. “Judy, is each dot a person, or a car, or what?”</p><p>“Definitely cars,” she replied. “They’re movin’ too fast to be a person, but also too slow to be an AV.”</p><p><em>Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. </em>A mass of dots clumped together slowly inched towards the town.</p><p>A pit formed in V’s stomach. “Fuck… there’s no way I can take that many of ‘em.”</p><p>Judy’s eyes darted between V and the screen. More dots appeared. “How do you know it’s the ESA?” Her words brimmed with agitation.</p><p>“I don’t. Listen, you have to get outta here - now!” V exclaimed as she stood up.</p><p>Judy’s heart started pounding. “But-…”</p><p>“Judy, I’ve not got a ghost of a chance of winnin’ this.” She pulled Judy up from the chair. “You must go right now!”</p><p>The techie’s pulse was racing. “N-n… fuck!”</p><p>“Come on!”</p><p>They turned to bolt out of the sheriff’s office.</p><p> </p><p>V suddenly received a text message. She got her phone out.</p><p>“Oh, thank fuck.” She breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s the ‘Caldos.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Panam Palmer</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[The cavalry has arrived!]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>They waited outside the sheriff’s lockup on the main road. V could just about spot the wall of dust trailing the cars.</p><p>“Think you’ll really like ‘em,” V said.</p><p>The techie gazed at the distant cars. “Fuck V, scared the shit outta me earlier.”</p><p>The merc wrapped an arm around Judy’s shoulders. “I know. Gonna have to be fast when it’s go-time, though, Jude.”</p><p>A few minutes passed; V could now clearly make the vehicles out. Shortly afterward, the Aldecaldos entered the town’s main road with the Basilisk at the forefront. The tank stopped right in front of the pair, its hover engines gently humming away.</p><p>Judy leaned in to whisper to the merc. “First a tactical bomber, now a panzer, V?”</p><p>“Wait ‘till you see the aircraft carrier,” V whispered back.</p><p>Judy chuckled. “Such a gonk.”</p><p>One of the two hatches on the roof of the Basilisk was opened.</p><p>Judy saw a man in a green coverall clamber out of the tank before descending and hopping down to the ground.</p><p>“There she is!” he said with outstretched arms. He walked towards V and gave her a bear hug, tapping her on the back. “You certainly dropped off the face of the Earth!”</p><p>“Actually, I ascended up from the face of the Earth,” V quipped.</p><p>“What, like Jesus?”</p><p>“Not quite. In a rocket.”</p><p>The tank lowered itself to the ground as the hover engines were switched off. The second hatch was opened, and a woman climbed out. She wore blue jeans and a red jacket, with her brunette hair tied in a bun. Even from that distance Judy could see she was a dreamboat.</p><p>Without a word, the woman jumped down and marched towards V with resolve. She stopped right in front of the merc, glaring at her for a moment or two. Eventually, she pulled V in for a hug. Judy could see she was biting her lip.</p><p>Something about the two embracing each other was off-putting. Judy eyed the woman warily as she tried stifling the irrational feeling that was clawing at her. She knew V and the woman were like best chooms. But Judy and Evelyn were besties, and yet…</p><p>The woman suddenly pulled back and punched V in the shoulder.</p><p>“Ow! Hey!” V exclaimed.</p><p>“Where have you been?! You… you…”</p><p>“Alright, alright, I’ll explain everythin’.” V turned to Judy and motioned for her to come closer. “Panam, Mitch… this is Judy,” she said.</p><p>The two nomads studied her as the techie approached them.</p><p>“Judy – Mitch and Panam,” V said, gesturing to both of them respectively.</p><p>“Hey…” Judy said as she crossed one arm in front of her chest to grab the other.</p><p>“Well, hello Judy,” said the Aldecaldo co-leader. “We’ve heard a lot about you,” she smiled.</p><p>The panzerboy studied Judy. “So, this is the one who makes V tick,” he jokingly remarked.</p><p>“Ugh, Mitch…” V groaned.</p><p>Judy couldn’t help but smile at that.</p><p>“Alright, alright,” Mitch said. “Listen, before we get to exchanging bread and salt, we got to get the non-combatant vehicles someplace else if things are going to get hairy around here,” Mitch said. “Know somewhere for them to set up camp?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Judy piped up. “There’s a quarry ‘bout ten miles northwest of here.”</p><p>“That’ll do,” Panam said. “Thanks.”</p><p>“Alright, we’ll send them on their way and get the rest to park here,” Mitch announced.</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Judy, V, the Aldecaldo veterans, and the two co-leaders were inside New Ashland’s Bar. V had greeted her old friends, exchanged pleasantries, introduced everyone to Judy, and made small talk. Over beers, the discussion then turned to more serious matters.</p><p>They were all sat down at a table as they intently listened to V; except for Teddy, who was exploring the offerings behind the bar, happy as a clam. The bartender had left a while ago.</p><p>V covered her cybernetic leg back up and removed it from the table. The nomads looked gravely concerned.</p><p>“Shit, V…” said Panam. “So you remember absolutely nothing?”</p><p>“Not a thing,” V confirmed. “But… pretty sure I’m not dyin’ anymore. Haven’t coughed up any blood."</p><p>“Alright! That’s good, V. But…” Bob hesitated. “Let’s say we do beat whatever the ESA throws at us. They’re not gonna let this slide, right? They’ll continue sending people after you?”</p><p>“And we’ll have made a powerful enemy for life,” Carol mused.</p><p>“Carol – don’t. We’ve discussed this already,” Panam warned.</p><p>V rubbed the back of her neck. “No, she’s right… Look, I’m really sorry for draggin’ you all into this. Had no one else to turn to.”</p><p>“Don’t apologise,” Saul said. “We promised you our help - here we are. Right now, let’s not dwell on the circumstances that got you here. We need to plan. Do the townspeople know what’s coming?”</p><p>“Yeah… I spent the whole day runnin’ around from house to house gettin’ ‘em to leave,” V said. “If I were to guess, I’d say maybe a third of ‘em are still here.”</p><p>Saul dipped his head in thought. “Okay, we can work with that,” he nodded. “We’ll get them out.”</p><p>Cassidy was busy picking at his fingernails. He spoke up. “So, Just to confirm, V… you’ve not an inklin’ of the when and what, correct?”</p><p>“I needed a tactical bomber to take ‘em out last time. Doubt they’ll be comin’ without some serious firepower,” V contemplated.</p><p>“So we’re fucked, in other words,” Teddy called out. “Oh. Score!” He produced a bottle from under the bar. “Cassidy – got your favourite. Joe Tiel’s Okie Hooch!”</p><p>“Don’t be a palooka, Ted,” the old cowboy said to him. He turned back to V. “Now, I don’t much like what I’m hearin’ either. But it looks like we’ve got no choice but to take things as they come… and hope for the best.”</p><p>“Alright. We’ll setup a roadblock on the main routes into town. Lay some mines a bit further away,” Saul decided. “Carol, you get the drones up to give us eyes. Rotate them out.”</p><p>“Town’s got sensors a few miles out. I’ll show her where they are,” Judy said.</p><p>“Can you fight?” Carol asked Judy.</p><p>“She-…” V tried answering.</p><p>Judy cut her off. “I can hold my own.”</p><p>Carol noticed V sighing. “Ok. You show me, and stick with me,” she said to Judy.</p><p>“Cassidy, as our best shot, you’ll find some high ground,” instructed Saul.</p><p>“Ayup. Thinking I’ll perch in the church’s belltower when it’s showtime,” the old cowboy said.</p><p>“Bob and I need to have a look at the old girl’s main gun,” Mitch asserted.</p><p>“Do that. I’d hate to needlessly waste any more missiles,” Saul glared at the panzerboy. He got up from his chair. “I’ll go assign patrol duties,” he said. He walked over to V and placed a hand on her shoulder. “We’ll get you through this, V,” he told her, before walking off and exiting the bar.</p><p>“Let’s go, child,” Carol said to Judy. They got up from their seats. Judy squeezed V’s hand and buoyed her up with a smile before following Carol outside.</p><p>Mitch and Bob were next to leave. Cassidy and Teddy followed, each of them taking a swig of the Oklahoman hooch and gagging on their way out. “Well, that’s some good shit,” Teddy said before exiting the venue.</p><p>V and Panam were the only ones left, nursing their beers as they contemplatively sat in silence.</p><p>The Aldecaldo suddenly took stock of V. “It’s really good to see you again,” she said. “I feared the worst once you stopped checking in… thought maybe Arasaka finally tracked you down after you took over The Afterlife.”</p><p>“No… Strange thing is, they never bothered. Guess they were still busy lickin’ their wounds,” V considered.</p><p>“Hmm… maybe,” Panam wondered. “Also, how come you never told me about Mikoshi? That it was a bust?”</p><p>V creased her forehead and regarded Panam with a sigh. “You had your hands full with the clan. ‘Sides, there was nothin’ you could do.”</p><p>“Fuck, V! I know it’s your cross to bear, but have you not considered that some things are just too much for one person to keep bottled up? I assume you told Judy?”</p><p>“No…”</p><p>Panam shook her head.</p><p>“Hey don’t you chew me out, too. Took enough flak for that already.”</p><p>“From Judy? Good. I like her, actually.” Panam took a sip of her drink. “As for you, I do hope you’ve learned your lesson,” she said with narrow eyes.</p><p>V nodded. They sat in silence for a few moments.</p><p>“You’ve no idea how relieved I am you came, Pan,” V started. “That holo to you was… was me throwin’ my Hail Mary pass. Thought Saul wouldn’t hear of it. Thought me ‘n him weren’t on good terms, y’know, after helpin’ you steal the Basilisk.”</p><p>“Mhm. He definitely wasn’t pleased. Even after he made me co-leader,” Panam admitted.</p><p>“We scuppered the Biotechnica deal, didn’t we? When we hit the Militech convoy?”</p><p>“Yup. Saul had a hell of a time bringing them back to the negotiating table. They wouldn’t touch us, after what we did to Militech. And picture this – Saul had to grovel in the meeting; I was there. <em>Grovel</em>, V. Him! I’d never seen the likes before,” Panam revealed.</p><p>“Damn…”</p><p>“Yeah. We got a deal, in the end - protein farm security. A terrible one though; we’re on a leash now. Fancy that? The Aldecaldos. Lapdogs.” Panam sighed.</p><p>”I’m sorry, Panam.”</p><p>”It’s okay, V. It was either that or starve. We’ve been keeping our heads above water.”</p><p>“So how did you convince Saul to agree to come?” V asked.</p><p>“He didn’t protest at all, in fact. Told us to pack up and head out.”</p><p>“Huh…” V said, taking a large gulp of her drink. “That’s unexpected. There nothin’ more to it?”</p><p>“I don’t know. Maybe? This is a Biotechnica town. Maybe he thought protecting this town would earn us brownie points. Get us in their good books?”</p><p>“Sounds like Saul, alright. Always playin’ politics.”</p><p>“I guess that’s what must be done, sometimes…” Panam said. “Hey, would you like to check out the Basilisk?”</p><p>“Sure would,” V said, before downing her beer.</p><p>Panam followed suit, after which they both left the bar.</p><p> </p><p>The Basilisk was parked outside. Mitch was on top of it, working on the autocannon. Bob was on the ground, troubleshooting the issue with the gun on a laptop that was hooked up to the back of the tank.</p><p>“Hey, V,” Bob said. “Thing of beauty, isn’t she?”</p><p>“Sure is. Gave her a nice coat of paint ‘n everythin’.” V admired the tank, noticing the scantily clad ginger-haired woman holding two armour-piercing shells. “Rouge Raxxa?”</p><p>“Long story,” Mitch said. “It’s from an old show.”</p><p>“See she’s got upgraded since I took her for a spin,” V observed.</p><p>Mitch spun around to look at her. “Oh, yeah. We replaced its old gun with a QianT twin-barrel 25mm autocannon,” he said, patting the weapon system. He then pointed to the missile launcher on the opposite side. “Over there we slapped on two 70mm quad-optic rapid-fire heavy anti-tank guided missile launchers, CC04 electric smoke countermeasures, military-grade Jumi5 Duplex Cyclone nitro injector, a tw-…”</p><p>“Enough, Mitch. I think V gets the idea,” Panam interjected.</p><p>“Impressive. Sounds like it’s got the whole kit and caboodle,” V quipped.</p><p>“She is impressive, when she behaves,” Mitch said. He sighed at the tank.</p><p>“We had some trouble with the gun when we tried punching through the border,” Panam explained.</p><p>“Don’t you worry though, V. We’ll iron out the kinks,” Bob winked.</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Judy and Carol were in the sheriff’s office, sitting at Cooke’s desk. The young techie monitored the town’s sensors while the older one was prepping her small recon drones by programming their flight paths on a laptop.</p><p>Judy glanced at Carol’s computer. “Those’re Zhirafa drones, right? I wanna say… Savanna line, second generation?”</p><p>Carol curiously glanced at her. “Yes, good eye. How did you know?”</p><p>“Dabbled in robotics in my spare time back in NC.”</p><p>“What did you use to do?”</p><p>“Braindance editin’. Smut.”</p><p>“Hm. A noble profession,” Carol stated.</p><p>Judy almost burst into laughter, but managed to contain herself and suppress it to only let out a titter. “Yeah, uhh… I dunno about that. I just… enable people to flog the log or flick the bean.”</p><p>“Well, I’m serious,” Carol said. “If new porn stops coming out, society will collapse soon after.”</p><p>Judy couldn’t stifle her laughter that time, heartily guffawing at Carol’s remark.</p><p>Slightly amused, the older techie continued. “I can’t imagine there’s a huge market for it in this town, though.”</p><p>“Yeah. I’ve had my hands full repairin’ hydroponic equipment, cars, ‘n whatever else gets broken around here.”</p><p>“Do you enjoy fixing things?” Carol asked.</p><p>Judy shrugged. “S’pose so. Guess there’s a… gratifyin’ feelin’ of takin’ somethin’ that’s broken, ‘n givin’ it back its purpose.”</p><p>Carol kept typing away at her keyboard. “Hm, do you enjoy fixing broken women, too?”</p><p>Judy crinkled her features and scowled at her. “What’s that supposed to mean?” she fumed.</p><p>“You know what I mean, child – or who I mean, rather.” Carol swivelled on her chair to examine her. “Some people are way beyond our capabilities to mend. You can try, but you will only get caught in their troubles. Spinning in the vortex, round and round, until you drown. Trust me, I have a lifetime of experience, and it was always the same story.”</p><p>Judy felt her cheeks were flushed with anger “Look…” she said tensely. “I don’t know what you’ve been through, but V is not broken. She’s the strongest woman I’ve ever known – she’s been through so much shit; you’ve got no idea.”</p><p>Carol refocused on her screen, ignoring Judy’s piercing gaze. “Hmph. You know best, then,” said the older techie.</p><p>With a final press of a button, two out of the four quadcopter drones placed on the floor buzzed to life, hovering next to Carol before departing the building through the open window at the back.</p><p>Carol pointed at the window. “Those two will give us eyes.” She then pointed at the two drones on the floor. “These two will take their place when the batteries run out in three hours. You take first watch. Wake me up when they return.”</p><p>Carol then got up and opened a jail cell, iron-barred door creaking as it swung wide. She entered the cell and plopped herself down on the sleeping bag, lying on her side.</p><p>Judy was left to monitor the early warning system and the drones on her own. </p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Panam and V joined up with Saul, Cassidy and Teddy at the eastern end of the main road. Flanked by a couple of abandoned two-storey houses, it demarcated the end of the town.</p><p>Saul was watching a nomad set up a roadblock, with Cassidy and Teddy stood next to him. The nomad was parking a Kaukaz heavy-duty truck in the middle of the road. Two small hatchbacks flanked it on the sides.</p><p>“What’s the sich?” V asked as her and Panam approached the group.</p><p>“We’ve set up roadblocks at the north and west entrances to the town. We’ve got people posted inside the houses.”</p><p>“Cassidy and I laid mines 50 yards out on this side,” Teddy said. “They can be deactivated remotely if any civvies drive up, don’t worry.”</p><p>“I’ve diverted two-thirds of our people over on the western side of town, close to the greenhouses.”</p><p>V and Panam glanced at each other. It looks like Panam was right.</p><p>Saul noticed the exchange. “There a problem?”</p><p>“Why not split them evenly? What if they hit this side harder?” asked Panam.</p><p>“I have split them evenly, by virtue of the Basilisk. Which will remain here.”</p><p>Yearning to retort, Panam opened her mouth, but then faltered. She nodded instead.</p><p>“Good,” said Saul. “Our people have set up in the quarry. We’ll rouse the townspeople at 0600 and evacuate them there. Then, it’s just a matter of hunkering down and waiting for your friends, V.”</p><p>“Thanks, Saul. For everythin’,” V said.</p><p>Saul’s expression was as stern as ever. “Don’t thank me yet. Thank me when this is all over.” He offered her a brief nod before walking off.</p><p>Cassidy took a swig from his bottle of Okie Hooch, subsequently wincing and coughing as he beat his chest with a fist. “Ho, boy. Ain’t this the stuff to just dill your pickle? Want some, V?” He offered her the bottle.</p><p>“Sure.” V grabbed it, and took a tentative gulp. Without a second thought, she then started chugging. Her insides burned, but she didn’t mind it one bit.</p><p>The others watched in a stunned silence. V eventually got halfway through the bottle.</p><p>“Holy shit, V!” Teddy suddenly grabbed it and lowered it before yanking it away. “Leave some for us!”</p><p>“Well, smack my ass and call me Susan! I reckon she could drink you under the table, Ted,” Cassidy smirked.</p><p>“To think I took you for a lightweight,” Panam remarked to V with a surprised look on her face.</p><p>Teddy eyed the merc suspiciously. “You and me, we’re gonna have a drink-off after this biz is concluded,” he said, pointing a finger at her.</p><p>V wiped her mouth with her wrist. “Bring it!” she grinned.</p><p>Teddy then stormed off. Cassidy followed him, chuckling and tipping his cowboy hat to V as he departed.</p><p>“V…” Panam said. “Speaking of concluding biz, what are you going to do afterwards?”</p><p>The merc sighed. “Gotta find Blue Eyes… Got this message from someone whose life I saved a while ago. She didn’t know much, but… Night Corp… did somethin’ to my head, in those three months.”</p><p>Panam’s eyes widened. “Fuck, V… I’d heard shady shit about them. They act oh-so-charitable with their public works. Behind closed doors though? People say they mess with unshackled AIs and stuff.”</p><p>“It’s fucked up, Pan,” V said. “I mean, I’m not dyin’ anymore, but… got this headache that won’t ever go away. Got this feelin’ that… everything’s wrong. The very air I breathe makes me sick, and it feels like there’s nothin’ I can do about it. Briefly felt at ease this mornin’, when I broke into the greenhouse compound and let everyone in, stickin’ it to those Biotechnica assholes. But then it all came back.”</p><p>“You felt good sticking it to a corp?” Panam asked. She screwed up her eyes. “Is Johnny back in your head?”</p><p>“No… but it certainly feels like it. Feels like I lost a part of myself, part of who I was before all this – before Konpeki, even.”</p><p>Panam placed a hand on the merc’s shoulder. “But you’ve also gained a lot since then, too – and don’t you forget that. You’ve got me. The clan. You’ve got Judy. I mean, she knows, right? We’ll get you through this.”</p><p>V dipped her head in silence and pursed her lips. </p><p>Panam groaned. “Come on, V. You’ve got to tell her. Honesty is the best policy.”</p><p>“I will, I will,” V nodded. “There’s so much that’s been goin’ on lately. I told you Interpol kidnapped her ‘n…”</p><p>“Yeah, I know. I get it. You’ll find the right moment,” Panam said.</p><p>“Yeah…”</p><p>They gazed up at the stars in silence.</p><p>“Well, it’s been a few hours,” V said. “Gonna go check up on her.”</p><p>Panam nodded at her. “Alright. I’ll go see how Mitch and Bob are getting along.”</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Judy was idly staring at the black-and-white grid on the monitor. Good thing Cooke had a coffee machine in his office. The coffee tasted horrible, but after the fourth or fifth cup she became numb to it.</p><p>The door to the lockup opened. She saw V step inside.</p><p>“Hey, you,” the merc said as she approached.</p><p>“Hey. Ain’t you a sight for sore eyes,” Judy beamed.</p><p>V noticed Carol snoring as she lay on the sleeping bag inside the jail cell. “Damn, Jude. I know the Agony Aunt can be a handful, but did you have to lock her up?” V grinned.</p><p>She giggled. “Careful, you wouldn’t want me to throw you in there with her.”</p><p>V clutched her chest in a mock-wounded gesture. “You’d really do that to me?”</p><p>“I just might,” Judy quipped.</p><p>The two drones Carol had sent out returned through the open window; the buzzing of their propellers filled the air. They then both neatly landed on the floor where they had previously been placed. The two drones that were grounded subsequently sprang to life, hovering in the air for a few seconds before departing through the window.</p><p>“Guess that’s my cue to wake Carol up,” Judy said.</p><p>“Hmm… does Cooke have an airhorn around here? A megaphone?” V asked.</p><p>Judy chortled and shook her head in amusement.</p><p>“Don’t bother, I’m already awake,” Carol grumbled, before stirring and getting up from the sleeping bag. She walked out of the cell and got to work recharging the drones that had just landed. “I’ll take it from here,” she said, eyeing the pair warily.</p><p>Judy got up from the desk, and walked towards V. “Alright. Gonna get some air,” she said. “Comin’, V?”</p><p>“Sure.”</p><p> </p><p>They walked westwards at a slow pace down the main road and through various little side streets, chatting about all manner of things. It was pitch black, with only the moonlight serving to guide them.</p><p>“Think we stand a chance now?” Judy asked as she paced onward next to the merc.</p><p>“’Course. Not the first time the ‘Caldos traded blows with a corp,” V said.</p><p>“That’s a relief,” Judy breathed.</p><p>“Don’t suppose I can convince you to head to the quarry in the mornin’, with the others?”</p><p>Judy glowered at her. “V… you promised me somethin’. ’Not gonna lose me again.’ That’s what you said in the car. I’m not goin’.”</p><p>The merc sighed. The case had been closed a while ago, it seems.</p><p>She turned her thoughts to the discussion she’d had with Panam. It was surprising how the Aldecaldo co-leader became a bit less hot-headed and a bit more… sage? She was right though – Judy had to know.</p><p>V took a deep breath. “Hey, Jude. There’s this-…”</p><p>“Hold up.” Judy stopped in her tracks, scoping something in the distance. She pointed to a house. “Lights are on at our place,” she said.</p><p>“They must’ve forgotten to switch ‘em off when they left,” V said.</p><p>Judy started walking briskly towards the Alvarez residence. V followed suit.</p><p>The Sea Dragon was not in the front yard – so they must’ve left. They could see the light in the living room was on. They walked up the steps to the entrance; Judy opened the front door.</p><p>They spotted the elder Alvarezes sat on the couch.</p><p>“<em>Nana</em>, <em>nono</em>…? Wh-… what’re you still doin’ here?” Judy asked.</p><p>Her grandparents looked at each other, expressions charged with worry.</p><p>“Judy, we were about to leave…” her grandmother said. “<em>Pero entonces Nancy vino a nosotros, diciendo que estaba desesperada por sacar a sus hijos de la ciudad. No tenían coche.</em>” (But then Nancy came to us, saying that she was desperate to get her kids out of town. They didn't have a car.)</p><p>“<em>Le dimos tu furgoneta</em>,” (We gave her your van.) Papa Alvarez said.</p><p>“<em>Por favor, no te enfades con nosotros</em>,” (Please don’t be mad at us.) her grandmother pleaded. “I know how much it meant to you.”</p><p>Judy canted her head down and pinched the middle of her brow. “I-… I’m not mad, but… why didn’t you just take her with you?” she asked, looking back up at her grandparents.</p><p>“<em>Quería ir con sus padres a Boise</em>,” (She wanted to go to her parents in Boise.) her grandfather explained.</p><p>“You said to go to Eugene. Idaho is in the opposite direction,” Mama Alvarez added.</p><p>V placed a hand on Judy’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll ask the ‘Caldos to give them a car,” she said.</p><p> </p><p>Out of nowhere, both V and Judy heard a ringing. They were both receiving a holocall – they picked it up simultaneously. All the veterans were on the call.</p><p>They heard Saul’s voice. “Carol? What’s going on?” he asked.</p><p>The old techie spoke up. “I’ve got movement on my screen, coming from the east.”</p><p>Judy’s suddenly felt lightheaded. This was too much to process all at once. First her grandparents, now this?</p><p>“H-How many blips?” she quavered.</p><p>“Just the one,” Carol said.</p><p>“Could it be a stray animal?” Panam immediately asked.</p><p>“Maybe, it’s not moving now.”</p><p>There were a few more breathless moments of silence.</p><p>“Is that it?” V queried.</p><p>Carol didn’t answer. Silence.</p><p>“Carol?” Panam pressed.</p><p>“That seems to be it,” Carol finally informed.</p><p>Judy breathed a sigh of relief.</p><p>“Alright, then,” Saul said. “Keep us posted if you-…”</p><p>‘Wait,” the old techie said.</p><p>“What?” Saul asked.</p><p>“Got activity in the north. And the south.”</p><p>V’s pulse started racing. “How many?” she asked.</p><p>“Three… four… five. More coming from the east now, too. Six… seven…”</p><p>“Fuck. It’s them,” V said.</p><p>“Picking up movement from the west, too.”</p><p>“Alright, everyone. To your posts,” Saul ordered. “Kill all the lights. Check your weapons, and stay in cover.”</p><p>“<em>Nana, nono, ¡quedaos aquí! </em>(Stay here!), Judy instructed. “Switch off the lights, and hide!”</p><p>Her grandparents got up from the couch.</p><p>V unslung and grabbed her assault rifle. “Stay with them,” she advised.</p><p>“No, I’m going to Cooke’s, keep an eye on things for you!”</p><p>“<em>Que la Santa Madre te proteja, Judy,</em>” (May the Holy Mother keep you, Judy.) her grandmother called out.</p><p>Judy regarded her grandparents one final time before running off. V cursed under her breath.</p><p>“Be careful V,” Papa Alvarez said.</p><p>The merc nodded at them. “You too, both of you.” She then closed the door and took off.</p><p>V sprinted after Judy. “Wait!”</p><p>The techie slowed down a bit and turned to look at her.</p><p>“Remember what I said. Escape if you have to,” V noted, as they both ran towards the town centre. “I’ll be close by.”</p><p>They both continued bolting to the main road, reaching it after a couple of minutes.</p><p>Judy veered to the left to step inside the sheriff’s office, calling out to the merc before doing so. “I’ll be watchin’ over you!”</p><p>“Feelin’ invincible already!” V remarked. She carried on further down the road to the general goods store.</p><p>V stepped inside and ducked behind a window on the ground floor. Panting, she smashed it open with the butt of her rifle to get a better shot. She noticed a younger-looking Aldecaldo ducking on the opposite side of the entrance by another window. “Hey,” V called out to him.</p><p>The Aldecaldo nodded at her and resumed his watch.</p><p>A voice came from the holo. “I’m in position at the north end,” Teddy informed.</p><p>“I’m by the greenhouses with Saul,” said Bob.</p><p>“Panam and I are inside the Raxxa. She is up and running.” Mitch announced.</p><p>“We’re gonna keep her out of sight off the main road,” Panam said.</p><p>“I’m up in the belltower,” Cassidy stated. “View’s pretty nice.”</p><p>“They’re converging from the west, north, and east,” Judy said. “Around a dozen vehicles on each side.”</p><p>“Fuck me,” gulped Teddy.</p><p>“Easy now,” cautioned Cassidy. “Don’t get your panties in a bunch.”</p><p>“I don’t know Sid, sounds like there’s quite a lot of them.”</p><p>“Hill of beans, Ted,” the old cowboy said. “They won’t get the best of us. Don’t you fret.”</p><p>“Cassidy, can you see them from up there?” Saul asked.</p><p>He didn’t answer immediately. “I see a whole lotta dust, chief. But it’s them alright.”</p><p> </p><p>The holo went silent.</p><p>Who knows what went through the Aldecaldo veterans’ minds? Some may have been psyching themselves up for the fight. Others perhaps were making their peace with whatever divinity they believed in. Others may have simply been looking forward to the next time they’d get a taste of hooch. V could only think of one thing – of one person.</p><p>She stirred from her deep thought and turned to the Aldecaldo crouched a few feet away from her. “What’s your name?” she asked him.</p><p>“James,” he said, eyeing her warily.</p><p>V heard Cassidy softly murmur a song through the holo.</p><p>“One day more,<br/>Another day, another destiny,<br/>This never-ending road to Calvary.”</p><p>“You afraid, James?” V asked.</p><p>The young Aldecaldo shook his head.</p><p>Cassidy carried on singing; his husky voice could be heard by everyone in the holocall.</p><p>“These men who seem to know my crime,<br/>Will surely come a second time,<br/>One day more.”</p><p>“Either you’re a very good liar…” V smiled at the young ‘Caldo. “Or a very brave guy.”</p><p>“They’re five klicks away,” Carol warned through the holo.</p><p>The old cowboy’s voice grew louder.</p><p>“One more day before the storm,<br/>At the barricades of freedom,<br/>When our ranks begin to form.”</p><p>“What, are you scared?” James asked her.</p><p>“Yeah,” V said. “Not for myself, though.”</p><p>“Well… shit. You’re <em>V</em>. If you’re afraid, what hope do the rest of us have?”</p><p>“One day to a new beginning,<br/>Raise the flag of freedom high,<br/>Every man will be a king,<br/>There’s a new world for the winning.”</p><p>“Funny you should mention hope,” V said to the young man.</p><p>“Three klicks away,” came Carol’s voice.</p><p>The merc continued. “Some guy once told me, ‘where no hope is left, is left no fear.’”</p><p>Cassidy’s voice was quieter, the was cadence slower. He’d reached the postlude.</p><p>“Tomorrow we’ll discover,<br/>What fate has in store,<br/>One more dawn,<br/>One more day,<br/>One day more.”</p><p>V looked at him with a severe expression “Don’t lose hope, James.”</p><p>“I see ‘em now,” said Cassidy. “Dunderheads are haulin’ ass, alright. In a bunch of SUVs.”</p><p>“Get ready,” V said to the young man.</p><p>“Should be any second now,” said Teddy.</p><p>Cassidy spoke up. “Aaaand…”</p><p>V heard explosions from different directions, both close to her and farther away. The ESA had found the mines the Aldecaldos had laid.</p><p>“Hot damn! Took out three or four of ‘em on our end,” Cassidy said.</p><p>“Same here,” Bob said. “The others are circling round and still coming.”</p><p>“We knew that wasn’t going to stop them,” Saul indicated.</p><p>“If things get dicey, let us know,” Panam said.</p><p>V looked out the window. Further away to the right of the general goods store, the Kaukaz heavy truck was blocking the middle of the road. She could hear cars approach.</p><p>“They’ve breached our roadblock!” Bob announced.</p><p>                                                                          </p><p>As soon as he said that, black SUVs came into view. V heard gunshots – the Aldecaldos were opening fire. The SUVs circled around the Kaukaz truck, ramming into the smaller nomad cars that flanked it. They punched through the roadblock. The first few ones drove on past the general goods store further down the road. More kept coming.</p><p>“That’s a lot of them!” exclaimed James.</p><p>“Open fire!” V yelled.</p><p>The two peeked from their cover and began unloading the magazines of their assault rifles into the passing cars. The younger Aldecaldo sprayed at them wildly while the merc let loose controlled bursts, aiming for the drivers. Some nomads who took cover in houses on the opposite side of the road started firing too.</p><p>Spent casings clanged against the floor as they dropped from V’s gun. One of the SUVs careened to the side into a house – V had hit her mark. She unloaded the rest of the magazine into the passenger doors.</p><p>Four – five more black cars sprang into view. They then stopped in a line; it seems they were the trail end of the eastern convoy.</p><p>V’s ears were ringing. The gunfire in the distance did not relent.</p><p>She released the empty magazine and grabbed another from her vest. “James – they’re gonna come out now. Keep your head down.”</p><p>The Aldecaldo nodded.</p><p>As if on cue, the doors on all the cars simultaneously swung open. A mass of corpo troopers in tactical armour emerged from inside the vehicles, wielding a mixed arsenal of assault rifles, submachine guns and shotguns. They immediately came under fire from the Aldecaldos; they returned in kind, taking cover behind their car doors.</p><p>A few of them spotted James and V hugging the windowsills and began pelting them with bullets.</p><p>“Get down!” she yelled as she ducked underneath the window. She saw James follow her instruction.</p><p>Concrete chunks and dust peppered V’s hair as the gunshots deafened her. Keeping her head down, she grabbed one of the frag grenades she requisitioned from Cooke’s armoury</p><p>She pulled the pin and threw the grenade out the window.</p><p>“<em>Granate!</em>” she heard a man yell.</p><p>An explosion rocked the general goods store.  </p><p>She peeked up from the windowsill. One of the cars had exploded into a ball of flame, setting the corpo soldiers next to it ablaze. The troopers from the other cars close to the wreck reeled from the blast.</p><p>V began raining bullet hell on them. Other Aldecaldos also opened fire. V could see muzzle flashes coming from all around like flash photography at a Jinguji fashion show.  </p><p>
  <em>BANG</em>
</p><p>The sound of Cassidy’s sniper rifle rippled across the town. V spotted one of the corpo troopers keeling over from the clean shot, with a bloody mist trailing his lifeless body as it dropped to the ground.</p><p>
  <em>BANG </em>
</p><p>Another shot, another one down. And another. And another. V could see from the periphery of her vision that Cassidy was picking them off like flies.</p><p>V heard Judy direct Teddy towards some hostiles.</p><p>“How are we looking, team?” Panam said over the holo. She sounded agitated.</p><p>“We’ve got them caught in a crossfire,” Saul said. “Don’t reveal yourselves yet.”</p><p>Corpos from another car began firing in V’s direction. She took cover. Bits of wood from the windowsill splintered off as it came under fire.</p><p>More gunfire could be heard in the distance. Explosions went off occasionally.</p><p>James reloaded his rifle. He began unloading a magazine, barely managing to contain the rifle’s recoil as it kicked against his shoulder. “I got one!” he happily exclaimed.</p><p>“Fuckin’ get down, James!”</p><p>“V, heads up! Got two guys sneakin’ round the back of the store!” Judy warned.</p><p>“Shit!” Keeping low, she moved to further inside the store to take cover behind a counter. She took aim at the back entrance.</p><p>“Here they come!” Judy cautioned.</p><p>The door was kicked in, and the corpo troopers rushed inside. They were immediately gunned down by V. She reloaded her magazine before the spent one even dropped to the floor. She was feeling the ache on her shoulder now.</p><p>“Thanks Jude,” she breathed.</p><p>James kept shooting. More gunfire was exchanged further away.</p><p>“Targets rapidly approaching!” Carol announced. “Like, really fast!”</p><p>“Aw, shit. I see them.” Cassidy said. “This is quickly goin’ to hell in a handbasket. I see AVs and drones!”</p><p>“What kind?!” Mitch asked.</p><p>“The big kind!” replied the old cowboy.</p><p>“Panam, now’s your cue!” yelled Saul.</p><p>“Bringing Raxxa out!” she said.</p><p>V returned to the window. Many of the troopers lay dead; some were still desperately shooting at the buildings that surrounded them. V opened fire on a few of them.</p><p>She heard Judy warn Bob of a few troopers encroaching on his position.</p><p>Suddenly, she saw the Rouge Raxxa ram through the entire SUV convoy, flipping some of the vehicles over, and knocking over many of the troopers that were still standing. They were easy pickings. V shot at some of them.</p><p>“Woo-hoo!” Mitch exclaimed. “Get some!”</p><p>“Shit, that’s a lot of Octant drones, guys!” Teddy shouted.</p><p>“They’re here!” Cassidy announced.</p><p>“Got a lock on them!” Panam called out.</p><p>
  <em>Fwoom fwoom fwoom.</em>
</p><p>V saw the missiles take off from the Basilisk’s launcher. The autocannon started firing as well. Mere moments after, small explosions surrounded the tank. The drones were firing back.</p><p>The house across the road from the general goods store exploded in a heap of concrete and wood. The Aldecaldos inside were burned to a crisp.</p><p>“They spotted me!” Cassidy yelled.</p><p>“Get down from there Sid!” Bob warned.</p><p>“Yup, my goose is gettin’ cooked. I’m head-…”</p><p>V heard another explosion close by. From the church?</p><p>“Cassidy!?” Panam cried out.</p><p>The old cowboy did not respond.</p><p>“Fuck…” V breathed.</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Gunfire and explosions resounded across town.</p><p>Judy’s pulse raced as her heart thudded inside her chest. “There’s too many drones, Carol! They’re gettin’ blown apart!” she exclaimed.</p><p>Carol was as cool as a cucumber. “Relax, child. The drones aren’t bulletproof.”</p><p>“So what do we do?!”</p><p>“We take our own drones, strap explosives to them, and fly them into theirs.” Carol stated.</p><p>“What, you’ve got some lyin’ around in your pockets?” Judy asked.</p><p>Carol looked at her as if she’d just asked a stupid question. “Of course.” She then took her sling bag off and unzipped it, taking out several C-6 “Flatfire” plastique demolition charges</p><p>Dumbstruck, Judy could only look as Carol stuck a charge onto each of the four quadcopter drones on the ground. She then inserted a remote detonator inside each stick of C-6.</p><p>Teddy’s panicked voice could be heard on the holo. “We’re getting torn to shreds up here!”</p><p>“Do you need backup?!” Saul asked.</p><p>“Yeah!”</p><p>Judy turned to look at the array of surveillance cams. Some had gone offline as a result of the numerous explosions hitting the town. Fire, muzzle flashes, bullet trails and dead bodies could be seen on all the screens. Four out of the five cameras in the northern part of town where Teddy was holding his ground were destroyed. The last one showed the street he was on. The Aldecaldo was on the ground floor inside one of the houses. Judy spotted him trading fire with a squad of troopers that had landed in an AV.</p><p>“There’s a woman here – picking us off one by one!” Teddy blurted out.</p><p>Judy wrinkled her brow in confusion at his remark.</p><p>“Judy, grab this,” Carol said. She handed her a thin rectangular-looking device with ten buttons on. “It’s a detonator trigger remote. Press the first four buttons when I tell you.”</p><p>Judy grabbed it as she watched Carol then remotely pilot the drones through a tablet. They buzzed to life and flew out the window one by one.</p><p>“Be ready to press each trigger button as I call out,” Carol instructed.</p><p>Judy nodded. Her head snapped back to the surveillance cam monitor where Teddy and a couple of Aldecaldos were still firing at the corpos.</p><p>“Trigger three!” Carol called out.</p><p>Judy pressed the third button on the remote. They heard an explosion in the distance.</p><p>“We got it. One Octant down,” Carol said.</p><p>“Fucking autocannon’s jammed again!” Mitch called out over the holo.</p><p>“Shit! Mitch, I’m reversing us out of here!” Panam cursed.</p><p>“Trigger two!”</p><p>Judy pressed the corresponding button. Another explosion.</p><p>“Another down,” Carol remarked as she intently focused on the tablet in her hands.</p><p>The sheriff’s office shook as something blew up nearby. The symphony of blasts and gunshots was still ongoing.</p><p>Judy spotted a silhouette on the monitor. It went to the side of Teddy’s house, disappearing from view.</p><p>“Teddy, someone’s comin’ round to the side of your position. Maybe comin’ through the back, I can’t see,” Judy alerted him.</p><p>“Shit. Thanks Judy. Taco, Jeff – cover the back!” Teddy instructed.</p><p>“Trigger four!”</p><p>Judy pressed the button.</p><p>“Damn! That one didn’t go down,” Carol growled.</p><p>“Oh, fuck! She’s here!” Teddy quavered.</p><p>“Who’s there?” V asked.</p><p>“She’s a-… aaargh!”</p><p>Teddy’s holo feed cut off.</p><p>“Teddy?!” Panam called.</p><p>“Ted!” Bob yelled.</p><p>“Trigger one!”</p><p>The techie looked at the monitor, stunned, as she tried fighting the panic that was rising.</p><p>“Trigger one, child. Now!” Carol boomed.</p><p>Judy snapped out of her trance and pressed the first button on the trigger. A distant boom followed immediately after.</p><p>Carol breathed out a sigh of relief. “It’s down. Okay – three out of four kills.”</p><p>Judy looked at Carol, mouth still agape. “T-Teddy… he…”</p><p>“Pull yourself together!” Carol bellowed. “We cannot thing about these things now.”</p><p>Anxiety eclipsed Judy’s thoughts. She felt like she was going to throw up. “O-okay… w-what next?”</p><p>“There’s nothing I can do from here anymore. I will go join the others; you stay here. Keep an eye in case more of them show up.” Carol walked to Cooke’s armoury to grab a weapon.</p><p>Judy turned to look at the monitors again. The cam that previously captured Teddy’s house was now down – a black screen replaced the image of the small street. Most of the screens were now black. She saw the Basilisk, surrounded in a cloud of smoke, firing off more rockets at the flying drones.</p><p>The Aldecaldos were shouting and cursing through the holo. The voices all became a distant blur to Judy as the adrenaline was crashing through her. She tried looking for V on one of the remaining transmitting monitors, but she couldn’t see her position anymore.</p><p> </p><p>She felt a cool gust blow against her nape. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as a shiver travelled down her spine.</p><p>“<em>Bonjour,</em>” came a whisper right next to her ear.</p><p>Judy slowly turned to the side.</p><p>She spotted a cyborg woman bent over next to her, smiling, with her hands behind her back. She wore a black bodysuit laden with cyberware. Her legs were tapered and metallic, ending in pointy tips. Her whole skull was chrome, with the only organic bit left being her jaw. She looked at Judy with purple lens-like eyes.</p><p>Terror had caught any words Judy may have uttered inside her throat. She instinctively started pulling back in an attempt to put some distance between them. She saw the ‘borg cock her head to the side, studying her.</p><p>
  <em>BANG BANG BANG BANG</em>
</p><p>Carol fired off what sounded like a railgun tech pistol at the woman. She emptied a magazine.</p><p>Though each shot caused the ‘borg to lurch against the impact, the bullets otherwise bounced off of her. The smile was wiped from her face. Mantis blades sprang from her forearms.</p><p>Judy watched in horror as she practically teleported to Carol’s position with a few lightning-quick strides.</p><p>Carol did not have time to reload her gun.</p><p>The ‘borg impaled her chest with both mantis blades, lifting her in the air. Carol groaned and gurgled as blood spewed from her mouth.</p><p>With trembling hands, Judy pulled the smart pistol V had given her from her behind waist. She fired the gun at the cyborg. The bullets swirled in the air, homing in on their target. But they merely plinked against her bodysuit.</p><p>The woman paid the shots no mind, looking at Carol as she squirmed in mid-air.</p><p>She eventually sighed. “<em>Tu n'aurais pas dû faire ça, ma chère</em>,” (You shouldn’t have done that, my dear.) she said. She tossed Carol’s hanging body to the side and retracted her mantis blades. “<em>J'aime regarder la vie s'échapper de leurs yeux.</em>” (I love watching the life slip from their eyes.)</p><p>Judy saw the woman then turn around and march towards her with determination. She kept firing the gun at the cyborg. The bullets had no effect.</p><p>“V!” Judy cried out.</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It was a bloodcurdling scream.</p><p>“Judy?!”</p><p>V had since run out of ammunition for her rifle. She left James in the general goods store to get a better shot at some troopers who had landed outside in an AV. She took cover behind a car wreck and fired her dual-wielded pistols at them, with explosions rocking the town and fire blazing all around.</p><p>“JUDY?!” she called out once more. Panic gripped at her. She ducked as a volley of shots from the corpo troopers clanged against the metallic frame of the wreck, bullets ricocheting everywhere.</p><p>An Aldecaldo carrying a rocket launcher came from an alley, aiming it up at an Octant-class drone in the distance. She let loose the rocket.</p><p>“Get to cover!” V yelled at her.</p><p>Before she had a chance to move, the Aldecaldo was immediately gunned down.</p><p>V heard an impact – the rocket had found its target. The Octant spun out of control and crashed on the AV that had landed on the road, killing all the troopers close to it in the process.</p><p>V peeked from behind cover to look at the sheriff’s office down the road. She saw it was possibly still standing; all the fire and smoke made it hard to tell for sure</p><p>“Carol, come in!” came Saul’s voice from the holo.</p><p>“Saul, her and Judy aren’t responding!” said V.</p><p>“Goddammit.”</p><p>The gunshots had died down on the main road, but they continued elsewhere in town. Panam and Mitch took the basilisk to the northern part of town to reinforce Teddy’s crumbling position. Bob and Saul seemed to be holding their ground in the western end.</p><p>She felt a tickle in her right shoulder; it was bleeding, she’d been shot. Cursing, she took a MaxDoc from one of her pockets and stabbed herself with it.</p><p> </p><p>She was about to make a dash for the sheriff’s office, when she suddenly heard a woman’s slow singing echo throughout the street.</p><p>“<em>Frère Jacques, Frère Jacques,<br/>Dormez-vous? Dormez-vous?”</em></p><p>V peeked up from behind cover to investigate. She froze with horror as she felt her bones turn to jelly.</p><p>A cyborg woman with tapered legs was holding Judy in the air by the back of her neck. She was unconscious. Could she be…?</p><p>
  <em>“Sonnez les matines! Sonnez les matines!<br/>Ding, dang, dong. Ding, dang, dong.”</em>
</p><p>The cyborg stood in the middle of the road, looking around.</p><p>“<em>V!” </em>she called out. “<em>Sors, sors, où que tu sois!” </em>(Come out, come out, wherever you are!)</p><p>Her long ponytail whipped back and forth as she twirled around to look at the various buildings that were on fire. Judy’s limp form bobbed in her grip as she moved.</p><p>“<em>J'ai quelque chose à te montrer!” </em>(I have something to show you!)</p><p>Swallowing hard and steeling herself, V got up from her crouched position and lifted her hands in the air to show she meant no harm. Her fingers were off the pistol triggers.</p><p>“Beatrice?!” she called out, as she slowly began approaching the ‘borg.</p><p>Béatrice about-faced to lock eyes with the merc. Smiling, she pressed the index finger of her free hand to her lips as if to shush V, subsequently pointing to Judy. “<em>Elle dort!</em>” (She’s sleeping!) she loudly whispered.</p><p>Octant-class drones were still wreaking havoc elsewhere in the town.</p><p>V slowly lowered her hands and bent down to put the pistols on the ground. She got back up and kept her hands in the air. “Put her down!” she yelled.</p><p>The cyborg woman rolled her purple eyes… or lenses, rather. <em>“Je ne m'intéresse pas à elle, de toute façon,</em>” (I’m not interested in her, anyway.) she said. She dropped Judy from where she still hung; she flopped to the ground next to the cyborg with a thud.</p><p>V’s heart lurched at the sight. She felt her hands were cold and clammy.</p><p>“<em>C'est un tel plaisir de te rencontrer enfin, V!” </em>(It’s such a pleasure to finally meet you, V!) she clapped excitedly. She started walking towards the merc, leaving Judy’s unconscious form behind on the ground.</p><p>“What do you want, Beatrice?” V asked.</p><p>The cyborg winced and shook her head. “Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.” She shook a finger at V. “<em>Ce n'est pas «Beatrice», c'est «Béatrice»! Tu comprends?” </em>(It’s not ‘Beatrice,’ it’s Béatrice! Get it?). She stopped in her tracks and held an arm akimbo. “<em>Bé-a-trice</em>,” she emphasised.</p><p>V was getting closer to her, still holding her hands up. “Still didn’t answer my question,” she said. “What do you want?”</p><p>The 'borg sized V up as she drew closer. “<em>Je kiffe ton style, V!</em>” (I dig your style, V!) she chuckled. “<em>Quant à ta question, je ne veux rien de toi. Mes employeurs, par contre…</em>” (As to your question, I don't want anything from you. My employers, on the other hand…).</p><p>V was a few meters away from the ‘borg. With her pulse racing, she was trying to keep her cool. “Okay, what do they want, then?” she asked.</p><p>The cyborg shrugged and casually inspected the cybernetic nails on one of her hands. “<em>Ils ont des questions pour toi, je suppose. Je dois te ramener morte ou vivante. Ils obtiendront leurs réponses d'une manière ou d'une autre.</em>” (They have questions for you, I guess. I’m to bring you back dead or alive. They will get their answers one way or another). She looked back up and V and smiled. “<em>Mais je pense que nous savons toutes les deux quelle façon est la plus amusante.</em>” (But I think we both know which way is more fun.)</p><p>V crept closer; she was now a few feet away from Béatrice. “Tough shit. Got no answers, my memory’s been wiped,” she said.</p><p>Her lips twisted into a wicked smile. “<em>Ah.</em> <em>C'est donc la mort, alors. Quel dommage!</em>” (Ah. So it’s death, then. What a pity!).</p><p>In the blink of an eye, V pulled the M2038 shotgun from behind her waist and unloaded a mass of pellets into the cyborg’s chest.</p><p>Béatrice howled in pain as the impact caused her to slide back a few feet. It did not knock her down, however. The ‘borg then cackled as she unsheathed the mantis blades in her forearms.</p><p>V pumped her shotgun and fire once more. The cyborg was too quick – she skipped to the side. She moved like greased lightning, circling V as she vaulted on cars and somersaulted back down to the ground. V kept firing at her. The cyborg was too quick.</p><p>Béatrice wasn’t coming straight at her. She kept circling around. V realised she was toying with her – like a spider playing with a fly. The cyborg kept elegantly dancing and leaping around. V kept reloading shells and pumping. She shot at the car frames, the windows, the ground, the air – but never managed to land a shot on the chromed-up woman.</p><p>The 'borg was giggling and cackling with each missed shot.</p><p>V tried predicting her movements, but it was to no avail, she’d always do the opposite. She was running out of shells on her bandolier.</p><p>Adrenaline rushing and heart thundering in her chest, she saw that Béatrice was done playing with her meal – she was charging straight at V now.</p><p>Pump. Shot. Miss – she dodged to the side. Out of ammo. No time to reload.</p><p>She was a few feet away.</p><p>V threw the shotgun at her face. It disoriented her a bit.</p><p>But the 'borg still lunged and swung both mantis blades. The blades hummed as they sliced the air.</p><p>V reacted in time – she leapt back. Or so she thought. She felt a sting. Her tank top was torn, her bandolier fell off. The mantis blades connected. No time to think. She was coming.</p><p>Footwork. The ‘borg slashed left and right. She dodged. The bodies and the rubble made it difficult. She was backpedalling – always a bad sign. V was barely keeping up with Béatrice’s movements; the synaptic accelerators in V’s spine helped. Not enough. Not enough!</p><p>V kept dodging backwards – to the left and to the right. She needed an opening. She was too slow. Too slow.</p><p>Béatrice slashed low. Slashed high. Laughter followed each one.</p><p>Then it happened. The worst possible thing. As V backpedalled, she tripped on a corpo trooper’s body.</p><p>It gave the ‘borg an opening. Béatrice struck V’s leg.  </p><p>Time slowed.</p><p>There was a reverberating <em>CLANG</em>.</p><p>V fell on her back. She felt no pain.</p><p>The ‘borg had caught V’s cybernetic leg. The leather was torn. The impact shattered her left mantis blade. Béatrice looked at her forearm in surprise.</p><p>Now was her chance. V let loose the monowire in an upward swing.</p><p>It severed the ‘borg’s right arm at the shoulder. Béatrice had lost both mantis blades.</p><p>V got up. She removed the torn bit of her leather pants. Her right pantleg was now knee-high. It fully exposing her golden cybernetic leg.</p><p>Béatrice glanced at her severed arm nonchalantly before turning to V. “<em>Ma douce, je n'ai pas besoin de bras pour te tuer,</em>” (My sweet, I don’t need arms to kill you.) she smiled. The 'borg then swung her head around.</p><p>Her ponytail grazed V’s cheek. She felt a sting. She put a hand to her cheek. Her fingers were coated with blood. The ‘borg’s ponytail was somehow weaponised.</p><p>She saw Béatrice’s tapered metallic legs suddenly retract upwards, revealing two straight blades jutting from her knees.</p><p>The lunging and dodging resumed.</p><p>With one arm missing and the other useless, Béatrice was stabbing and slashing with her spear-legs.</p><p>V dodged a front stab kick followed by a roundhouse slash kick. The ‘borg was still quick as ever; maybe slightly off-kilter.</p><p>V now had opportunities to riposte with swings and slashes from her monowire. But Béatrice dodged them effortlessly.</p><p>More whips from her ponytail. A low slash kick. A jumping hook stab kick.</p><p>V was pretty fatigued. She needed to find her second wind somehow. She kept losing ground to her – she kept backpedalling. The ‘borg kept pushing her back down the street.</p><p>More kicks. More monowire slashes. More dodging.</p><p>Suddenly, Béatrice ceased her athletic display, smiling at V.</p><p>Confused, V looked around her. Constant backpedalling during a fight always proved fatal.</p><p>V had backed herself against an upturned car. There was nowhere to move.</p><p>She raised her left arm to strike at Béatrice before she could capitalise on V’s mistake.</p><p>But V couldn’t process it in time. She tried flinging the monowire at her.</p><p>Béatrice stabbed V’s left palm with a leg and pinned it against the car. She used her unsevered arm to grab V by the neck.</p><p>V struggled against her grip. She was gasping for air. The ‘borg’s chokehold grew tighter.</p><p>“<em>Je suis impressionné, V. Tu étais au taquet!</em>” (I’m impressed, V. You were on fire!) she exclaimed. “<em>Hélas, la fête est finie.</em>” (Alas, the party’s over.)</p><p>V could feel the life being squeezed out of her. She was about to pass out.</p><p>
  <em>BANG</em>
</p><p>Béatrice doubled over and yelled in pain.</p><p>V saw Judy stood behind the ‘borg with the shotgun she’d previously wielded.</p><p>V flung a desperate punch square in Béatrice’s organic jaw. The ‘borg recoiled against the strike. Her foot was no longer stuck in V’s bloody palm. The merc immediately swung her monowire in a low slash.</p><p>The wire cut through Béatrice’s blade-legs, severing them and swiping the ‘borg off her feet. She landed back-first on the ground.</p><p>V was in a coughing fit, sucking in huge gulps of air. Blood spewed from her pierced hand.</p><p>Judy was fumbling with the shotgun, trying to reload.</p><p>V tried stomping Béatrice’s skull with her cybernetic leg as she coughed and choked. But the ‘borg dodged.</p><p>Béatrice’s tapered legs instantly retracted. She picked herself back up with a backflip, and vaulted over both of them onto a car, somersaulting up in the air and landing on top of an Octant-class drone that flew above.</p><p>V dropped to her knees as she kept coughing and choking.</p><p>Judy tossed the shotgun and rushed to her side.</p><p>V looked up. She could see they were now surrounded by four of the massive drones, with Béatrice riding on top of one of them.</p><p>This was it, then. There was no escape. Her Divine Comedy was coming to an end, though the ending was unknown to her.</p><p>Smoke irritated her watery eyes; her vision was blurred. She couldn’t stop coughing. She could just about see Judy looking back at her.</p><p>“V!” she cried.</p><p>The drones were going to let their missile salvos loose any moment now.</p><p>If she was going to die, she wasn’t going to get another chance.</p><p>More coughing. V pulled Judy in close. Their foreheads touched.</p><p>“Close your eyes,” V said.</p><p>She did as instructed.</p><p>V followed suit. She swallowed hard, and hugged Judy tightly. “I lo-…”</p><p>The deafening sound of missiles overpowered both their senses. V probably finished what she’d meant to say, but she couldn’t tell. She couldn’t hear a thing in that split second. Judy probably didn’t hear it, either.</p><p>Her heart skipped a beat.</p><p>One more dance with the Reaper.</p><p>…</p><p>…</p><p>But maybe not her final one?</p><p>She opened her eyes.</p><p>The Octant drones kept firing missiles. It was deafening. They weren’t firing at the pair – they were bombarding the town.</p><p>All the buildings on the main street. All the houses in the residential areas. Everything erupted in fire and explosions.</p><p>Judy opened her eyes and subsequently looked around in horror, too.</p><p>They kept on hugging each other as they watched the drones pivot in mid-air to cover the whole town in fire and death - all areas both near and far.</p><p>After a few more agonizingly loud moments, the bombardment eventually ceased. The drones probably would’ve continued had they not run out of missiles.</p><p>They both heard Béatrice cackle high up on one of the Octants. “J<em>e te l'ai dit, V! Je ne voulais pas que tu manques le spectacle!</em>” (I told you, V! Didn't want you to miss the show!) she hollered.</p><p>Something broke the din of crackling fire from the hellscape that surrounded them.</p><p>There was a loud, distant thrum resonating in the air. It was getting close. And louder.</p><p>V glanced up at Béatrice. She could see the cyborg woman was looking around in confusion.</p><p>
  <em>BRRRRRRRRTTTTT</em>
</p><p>…</p><p>V saw a jet fighter fly over the town. She then realised what was about to happen.</p><p>She pulled Judy down to the ground next to a car wreck. She then splayed herself atop the techie to shield her.</p><p>The bullets from the jet fighter’s gatling gun took all four drones out, with some also spraying down on the ground around the pair, hitting the road, the cars, the bodies…</p><p>Some of the drones exploded as they were shot; others crashed to the ground and blew up in balls of flame where they stood. Miraculosuly, none of them fell close to the two.</p><p>
  <em>BRRRRRRRRTTTTT</em>
</p><p>
  <em>BRRRRRRRRTTTTT</em>
</p><p>More jet fighters flew overhead.</p><p>V removed herself from the ground and looked around. She couldn’t see Béatrice anywhere.</p><p>Judy got up, too. She looked ever which way at first. Her gaze then settled toward the western part of town.</p><p>They heard more detonations in the distance.</p><p>The techie quickly examined V. She seemed fine. She then immediately made a dash for the opposite side of town.</p><p>“Judy, wait!” V called out.</p><p>But she couldn’t. This was too important.</p><p> </p><p>Judy zigzagged across town, weaving between car wrecks, corpo and Aldecaldo bodies, fires, destroyed drones, rubble and missile impact craters.</p><p>Her ears were still ringing from all the loud noises. Tears welled in her eyes from the smoke of all the burning fires. The smell of burnt fuel, sulphur and charred corpses stung her nostrils.</p><p>Her hands were shaking and her legs felt weak as she crashed from her adrenaline rush. But she had to push through.</p><p>She panted furiously as she sprinted along. Visibility was extremely poor – the air was hazy with fumes. Muscle memory guided her.</p><p>She suddenly saw someone a couple of meters away as the figure sprang into view through the smoke. It was a corpo trooper.</p><p>Hearing her footsteps, he snapped around and trained his gun on her.</p><p>Her pulse raced yet again. Judy stopped in her tracks and slowly raised her hands in the air.</p><p>The trooper then slowly advanced towards her. He made it a couple of meters before someone materialised from the smoke and tackled him to the ground.</p><p>It was Sheriff Cooke. He was still wearing his bloodied uniform. His face was still swollen from V’s beating, and his head was wrapped in gauze.</p><p>He was hitting the trooper’s helmet with a brick. “Go!” he yelled at her.</p><p>She dashed away in next to no time.</p><p>She heard gunshots and a man’s pained scream after sprinting for several moments. She did not look back.</p><p> </p><p>Judy reached her destination a little while afterwards. It was unmistakable.</p><p>But it was on fire.</p><p>It was a strange sensation. Fire engulfed the entire town; it had been that way for what seemed like an eternity now. It was like a din that her mind had trained itself to ignore.</p><p>But in the here and now, she couldn’t help but focus on every little detail of the sight before her. How the roof was caved in, exposing the ashen ceiling beams and joists. How the walls had collapsed, revealing the charred studs and plasterboards. How the flames burned a deep red and amber, licking the air as a huge column of smoke ascended up into the stars.</p><p>She fell to her knees as she stared into the inferno that used to be her grandparents’ house.</p><p>Judy had suffered through so much loss in her life, time and again.</p><p>But now, she lost everything: her van; her BD tuning equipment; the DPI-350 vintage camera V had found at Laguna Bend; the recording of Dicknoodles; the lovely postcards...</p><p>... and the two most important people throughout her life. Pillars of stability and comfort during the shakiest of times. A font of love, and happiness, and joy. A cradle of warmth. A safe haven from the merciless world.</p><p>Gone.</p><p> </p><p>Judy felt nothing. Emptiness. An infinite void.</p><p>Was it because she was exhausted and dizzy? Was it because she had no more tears left to cry?</p><p>Or was it because she became numb to all the loss, all the pain? Is it what the world had conditioned her to? Why did it feel the need to remind her of how fucked up it was, over and over again?</p><p>Her grandfather had an explanation for why the world was the way it was. Terrible, and unforgiving.</p><p>What was the adage?</p><p>Murphy’s law.</p><p>
  <em>Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.</em>
</p><p>Her grandfather had joked about it that first time. Judy performed her first ever repair job on his old pick-up truck when she was a tween. She’d found a replacement alternator in a junkyard. It blew up as soon as she started the car. It was funny, then.</p><p>Now, she was shellshocked. The sight in front of her became inappropriately funny, too.</p><p>Nancy took her kids and left for Idaho. And her grandparents had to pay the price.</p><p>She let out a huff of amusement as she emptily stared at the conflagration in silence. Murphy’s law.</p><p> </p><p>Judy heard footsteps rapidly approach. She didn’t care.</p><p>She then felt someone drop to the ground next to her and circle an arm around her shoulders. She kept staring ahead.</p><p>“No…” V whispered.</p><p>They both motionlessly knelt in silence next to each other and stared at the fire.</p><p>For what seemed like ages.</p><p> </p><p>Until V heard the jet engines from an AV.</p><p>She turned around and saw a shiny Rayfield Excalibur landing nearby. It was just like the Delamain one she took before the Crystal Palace heist – except it was unbranded.</p><p>She looked at Judy. She did not stir at all.</p><p>V got up and placed herself between Judy and the AV, aiming a submachine gun she picked up off the ground at the flying car. Her stabbed palm still stung like mad; she’d wrapped a rag around it.</p><p>The AV deployed its landing feet, and touched down on the ground with a thud.</p><p>The vertical doors slid open.</p><p>A man in an elegant white suit stepped out. She recognised him immediately. How could she not?</p><p>The very moment V set her eyes on him, the perennial headache that had been troubling her since waking up from the heist returned with a fierce vengeance.</p><p>His coiffed hair was impeccable. He adjusted his pince-nez glasses as he stepped out of the AV. He then put his hands up as he approached V slowly.</p><p> </p><p>It was Yorinobu <em>fucking </em>Arasaka.</p><p>“V, we do not have much time. You must come with me. I will explain everything,” he said.</p><p>She couldn’t believe this shit. Her head was pounding something fierce. “You?! What makes you think I wanna come with you?!” she yelled.</p><p>“Time and again I have saved your life,” he replied. “This being the latest... instance.” He stretched his arms out wide to gesture at the town.</p><p>Her breathing grew quick and laboured. She felt incredibly dizzy with rage. “Wh-wh… what do you fuckin’ want?” she bellowed.</p><p>“I can help you get rid of them,” he said.</p><p>Her aim faltered as her hands were shaking. “Wh-… what makes you think I want your help?”</p><p>Yorinobu sighed. “They will never stop hunting you,” he said. After briefly collecting his thoughts, he spoke up again. “I can make them go away... permanently…”</p><p>There was a short pause.</p><p>“...But I need your help,” he concluded.</p><p>She felt her vision was blurring. Something deep inside her raged against all her being. Her head was killing her, it was like a thousand knives stabbing into her all at once. She couldn’t take it anymore. She dropped her gun and grabbed her head in her hands.</p><p>V turned around to look at Judy - she hadn’t moved a muscle; she was still staring at the house.</p><p>V's vision blurred – then darkened.</p><p>She collapsed on the ground.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Before you jump me, remember the tag everyone. Happy ending.</p><p> </p><p>Thank you all once again for your lovely comments and messages! I cherish each and every one. </p><p>Special thanks to PleasureOperator for helping confirm the name of a couple of drinks in the game for me.</p><p>A big shoutout to Muhammad21azim for the awesome fanart of the first chapter of this fic!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Return</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The group recovers, and a plan is formed.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Judy idly gazed out the enormous tinted window of the AV.</p><p><em>I refuse to sink</em>.</p><p> </p><p><em>I refuse to sink</em>. <em>I refuse to sink</em>.</p><p>The words she inked on her body in her younger years became her mantra during difficult times. Those times were frequent. Too frequent. Unfairly frequent.</p><p>
  <em>“Life is shit, and then you die, Judy. Get used to the idea.” </em>
</p><p>Rita, the mettlesome Mox bouncer from Lizzie’s - Judy’s old choom, had a way with words, especially during her impromptu drunken philosophical ramblings. And she was right, life wasn’t fair; fairness is a laughable notion. Was there ever truly such a thing in this world?</p><p><em>I refuse to sink</em>.</p><p>The troubles Judy faced during her incarceration in the juvenile group home paled in comparison to the events of the past year – of the past few hours. What does one do in the face of such adversity? Most people choose to forget, losing themselves in drink, drugs, braindances, or some other mindless form of entertainment the corps peddled to keep the masses content. On the other hand, some chose to face adversity head-on, drawing strength from loved ones, friends, family, religion, ideas… even words. Words can be powerful.</p><p><em>I refuse to sink</em>.</p><p>She turned these familiar words over in her head. In this world, the harshness of reality would always wash over her like waves, intently knocking her down time and again. If she did not pick herself back up, she would sink… and drown.</p><p>Right now, it was so very tempting to just let go… and have the depths claim her. She was tired of fighting. Tired of resisting. What was the point? It was a Sisyphean task – endless and inescapable. One could attempt to cheat fate, but that always ended poorly.</p><p>Evelyn lost her life for trying to be clever. Judy knew that. But part of her still blamed herself for going to the store and leaving her alone that night. She shouldn’t have abandoned her. She was going to try whipping up some pancakes for her, hoping it would make a difference.</p><p>Making a difference… that wasn’t a good idea either. Judy always tried, did the best she could, doing right by those who were helpless; Tom’s death from the failed takeover of Clouds was another harsh lesson. Keeping one’s head down was the only way to make it; not trying to be a hero.</p><p>Actually, that wasn’t right. Keeping a low profile was the only way to survive, but survival wasn’t guaranteed. One could still get caught in the crossfire and be someone else’s collateral damage. Miguel and María Alvarez played the game by the book and kept their noses clean their whole lives. But that was irrelevant. Because life wasn’t fair.</p><p>
  <em>Ev, Tom, nana, nono… they’re all dead ‘cause of me. </em>
</p><p>Judy didn’t think she had any tears left. The lump stuck in her throat said otherwise.</p><p>The leather creaked as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Her gaze shifted from the endless desert landscape bestrewn with shrubs, cacti and yucca palms, to the emergency release button next to the door.</p><p>If it opened, all she had to do was jump out, and all her troubles would go away forever…</p><p>
  <em>No.</em>
</p><p><em>I refuse to sink</em>. <em>I refuse to sink</em>.<em> I refuse to sink</em>.</p><p>She couldn’t lose her nerve now. Not in front of strangers. She had to stay strong. She had to keep on fighting, and not just for herself. The fire had claimed all she had - all, except for one thing.</p><p>Judy rubbed the back of her sore neck. Quietly suppressing a sniffle, she then looked to her right. V sat motionless on the seat next to her. She was still out of it, breathing steadily with her eyes closed and head tilted downward. She looked a mess, with her clothes torn and her whole body caked in blood, soot, and dirt from the warzone they’d escaped.</p><p>Judy hadn’t seen V collapse since she had the Relic in her head. Though V seemed healthier, something was obviously still not right. Now was not the time for Judy to give up. She had made a promise to the merc - that they’d figure it all out; that they’ll make it through together; that they won’t be separated ever again.</p><p>
  <em>I refuse to sink, an’ I’m not gonna fail you, too. </em>
</p><p>Judy grabbed V’s bandaged left hand and squeezed it gently, being careful not to disturb the wound in her palm where she’d been pierced by the ‘borg.</p><p>“You were friends with Evelyn Parker, right?”</p><p>She turned to face the figure addressing her.</p><p>The events of the past few hours almost seemed a blur to her. Everything happened so fast: discovering her grandparents hadn’t left; the sudden attack; the ‘borg impaling Carol; Judy passing out from being choked; waking up in the middle of the road and saving V’s life; Cooke coming out of nowhere and saving Judy’s life in turn; the fire… And now, she was sat in an AV being questioned by Yorinobu Arasaka about her deceased best choom.</p><p>Was this some sort of fever dream?</p><p>Yorinobu studied her, pushing his pince-nez glasses further up the bridge of his nose with an index finger as he awaited a response.</p><p>Judy swallowed hard. “What’s it to you?” she asked with a quaky voice.</p><p>“I… regret not being able to find her sooner,” he said. His gaze was downcast. “Too many things were happening all at once. I could not dedicate resources to locating her.”</p><p>“Why do you care about her?”</p><p>Looking lost in thought, he did not answer her immediately. “She was the only person who truly understood me,” he eventually replied. “We both felt that we were… stuck. Suffocating. Yearning to escape our predestined conditions.”</p><p>
  <em>What the hell does he know about bein’ trapped?</em>
</p><p>“Stuck? You were the Emperor’s son, holmes! You had everythin’ you coulda possibly wanted at your fingertips. Why the fuck would you want to escape that?” Judy snapped.</p><p>It felt slightly surreal addressing what was perhaps the most powerful man in the world in that manner.</p><p>A thin smile flickered at the corners of Yorinobu’s mouth. “The heir of the Arasaka <em>Mikado. </em>I would eagerly fulfil my destiny and assume the mantle. <em>Kaeru no ko wa kaeru</em>. Like father, like son. In truth, it was like a gilded cage. My gaolers were duty… loyalty… family. To my father, duty to your family was everything. And he demanded… obedience.” He paused. “Hm, perhaps that is the wrong word… <em>Kutsujū</em>. Subservience. But I refused. And not just because that was not the life I wanted, but-…”</p><p>“Oh boo-<em>fucking</em>-hoo!”</p><p>It wasn’t Judy who interrupted him.</p><p>The fourth chair in the AV’s cabin was occupied by none other than Panam Palmer, who had forced Yorinobu at gunpoint to allow her to travel with V and Judy. She had removed her red-black bolero jacket to cover V up as she slept.</p><p>Yorinobu looked to his left to face the Aldecaldo.</p><p>Panam glared right back at him. “You murdered the old man, and now you’re the big wheel at Arasaka. Congratulations! Think that skulduggery doesn’t make you different to the rest of them?”</p><p>He shook his head. “I had my reasons. I am not looking for sympathy.” He turned back to Judy. “I wanted to point out that… what is the saying? ‘The grass is not always greener on the other side…’ Evelyn Parker understood this – understood me. I do not resent her for what she did… for the heist. I would have helped her leave Night City, had she asked. I do not like it either… for different reasons, I suspect. But she did not trust me enough to do so.”</p><p>Judy furrowed her brow, but did not respond.</p><p>“I was… very fond of her.” Yorinobu looked out the window at the clear skies. “Trauma Team informed me when her BioMon stopped sending signals,” he lamented. “How did she die?”</p><p>After only just feeling like she had a handle on things, Judy had to once again fight to hold back the rivers threatening to cascade from her eyes. She looked away, and gritted her teeth. “Better you didn’t know. Everyone who was responsible paid for it. V made sure of that.”  </p><p>“Sounds like V, alright,” Panam said.</p><p>Yorinobu’s gaze darted between Judy and V, who was motionless in her seat. He nodded, then turned back to look out the window.</p><p>The three sat in silence for a while. The monotonous thrum of the AV’s thrusters was the only sound to be heard. Each one of them was lost in their own thoughts, plagued by their own worries.</p><p>As for Judy, she was trying to wrap her head around Evelyn. The Ev she knew, and the Ev she didn’t know. The same Ev about whom Yorinobu Arasaka, of all people, spoke so fondly of. The same Ev who operated at some of the highest echelons of society. The same Ev who used to steal some of Judy’s pads whenever she visited her apartment. The Ev who was so majestic and regal at her best. The Ev who was so broken at her worst.</p><p>Yorinobu suddenly reached across the cabin to open the AV’s minibar. He produced a Japanese artisanal decanter and a clear glass. He removed the topper, and poured a clear liquid into the glass. A flowery aroma permeated the AV’s cabin.</p><p>“Saké? Isn’t that a bit pedestrian for you?” Panam asked him with a quizzical look.</p><p>Yorinobu smiled. “Yes… I always get that look from others who are used to the fancy Western brandy, whiskey or tequila. Of course, they are the same people who go on to… the expression escapes me… wax lyrical about it? After they learn of my preference - like sycophants.”</p><p>He took a slug of his saké and let out a sigh of satisfaction. He leaned back towards the minibar and poured the decanter into another glass, offering it to Panam; she took it. He then gestured towards a third glass at Judy, but she shook her head. Yorinobu sat back down in his seat and looked at the Aldecaldo.</p><p>“You are a nomad, yes?”</p><p>Panam sipped on the drink and nodded at the glass. “Not my usual tipple, but this stuff’s not bad,” she said. “And yes, I am one of the leaders of the Aldecaldos.”</p><p>“Hmm… I have heard of your clan, but I am not very familiar with it,” Yorinobu said. “You and your family came to help her?” he asked, pointing with his glass at V.</p><p>“We did. She called me and asked for help. So, we came.”</p><p>Yorinobu nodded. “Family. Kinship. Community. The building blocks of our society since prehistoric times, when humans stopped being hunter-gatherers and settled down to become farmers.” He pursed his lips. “How ironic that the nomads of our time are the last of us to stick to those values.” He adjusted his glasses and regarded Panam with a fond look. “Your kind is the last bastion of civilisation.”</p><p>She shot him a confused look, but let him continue.</p><p>“I used to be like you – a nomad. In Japan, we have less land to roam free, like you do in America. It is a hard life, but some still choose to live it. <em>Bōsōzoku</em>, those who feel… estranged from the world and take to the road to escape on their motorbikes.” Yorinobu sighed before continuing. “<em>Kōtetsu No Ryū</em> – the Steel Dragons, they were my family. I felt more at home there than I ever did in my father’s compound.”</p><p>“And yet you came crawlin’ back to ‘im,” Judy interjected.</p><p>Yorinobu looked at the young techie. “I rebelled against my father and everything Arasaka stood for… I wanted to bring it down. The Steel Dragons and I took the fight to the corporation… but achieved little… <em>Isogaba maware</em> - the more haste, the less speed.” He polished off his drink. “If I wanted to truly make a difference, I would have to bide my time and bring change from within. And so, I made peace with my father. But I had to forsake my true family to do this.”</p><p>“Where are the Steel Dragons now?” Panam asked.</p><p>Yorinobu turned to face her. “Dead.” He tilted his head down. “My father demanded I prove my loyalty… by having me hunt them down and destroy them.”</p><p>Panam pressed her lips together. “Sorry to hear that…” she said morosely.</p><p>Judy peered at Yorinobu. “Been in charge of Arasaka for a while now, yet nothin’s changed.”</p><p>The leather chair groaned as Yorinobu leaned forward to place his depleted glass back in the minibar. He then sat back down in his seat, crossing one leg over the other and looking at Judy. “That is not the case,” he said. “I have set many things in motion. But for my plans to work, I need V’s help.”</p><p>Were it up to her, Judy would grab V and run away once they landed at… wherever it was they were headed to. Tangling with the corps was never, ever a good idea. But did they really have a choice? Yorinobu was right - the ESA would never stop hunting them down.</p><p>Still holding V’s hand, Judy inadvertently gave it a squeeze for comfort. “What is it you want with her, exactly?”</p><p>“That is a matter for her and I to discuss.” He noticed Judy’s worried expression. “Rest assured, I have no intention of keeping you if she refuses to aid me. I think it would be unwise of her to do so. But I suppose I can find another way…”</p><p> </p><p>The cabin descended into quiet once again, save for the distant droning of the AV’s engines. Judy observed the two figures in front of her: Yorinobu was gazing out the window with steepled fingers; Panam was pouring some saké into a metallic flask. She then put the topper back on the decanter and pocketed the filled flask.</p><p>After some time, a voice could be heard through a speaker in the cabin. It was likely the pilot. “<em>Arasaka-sama, watashitachi wa, mamonaku Naitoshiti ni tōchaku shite irudearou.”</em></p><p>Yorinobu stirred from his meditative state. He looked at the two women. “We will arrive in Night City soon,” he announced.  </p><p>Night City. The City of Dreams. The City of Nightmares. The city that puts most people on a conveyor belt, chews them up one by one, and then spits them back out. Escaping the grinder was difficult. Should one succeed in doing so, the city’s unholy magnetism would somehow always reel them back in. Like Judy, who was desperate to escape its claustrophobic bedlam, but who was now back in its clutches.</p><p>“We will be landing at Arasaka Tower,” Yorinobu continued. “I will set you up in an executive suite in the living quarters.” He looked at Judy. “Do I need to send someone to tend to her?” he asked, nodding towards V.</p><p>Judy’s pulse started racing. “She’ll be fine. Not about to let you poke ‘round her noggin,” she retorted.</p><p>“As you wish.”</p><p>Judy stared out the window once more. Several minutes go by; sure enough, the familiar landmarks came into view: the unsightly oil fields at the northernmost tip of the city; the plumes of smoke emanating from factories, chemical processing plants, and refineries in the industrial district of Watson; the coastal ships making their way in and out of the Arasaka Waterfront; the megabuildings and skyscrapers of Little China and Japatown, laden with all manner of giant, animated billboards and illuminated advertisements; the maglev that criss-crosses the city; the hundreds of AVs flying to and fro; the smog; the bustling streets packed with people who looked like ants. </p><p>After a few minutes, they reached Corporate Plaza in the City Centre. The glossy, sleek skyscrapers dominated the skyline, with Arasaka Tower lording over all the other headquarters, like a modern menhir to celebrate corporate supremacy. Over fifty years ago, Johnny Silverhand set off a nuclear bomb that levelled the entire area. The monumental effort expended for the district’s reconstruction and radiation clean-up is a testament to the corps’ power. How tragic was the world’s unwillingness to muster that power for some actual good?   </p><p>The AV stopped and hovered above the landing pad atop Arasaka Tower, shortly after which it began to descend towards it. The motions were swift and fluid thanks to the built-in inertia dampers - Judy wouldn’t have been able to tell which way the AV was going were it not for her ability to see through the giant window. She heard the landing feet retract, but did not feel the landing itself once it occurred. The pilot then killed the engines.</p><p>The vertical doors opened automatically and Yorinobu stepped out to speak with a smartly-dressed man in a suit who waited for him on the landing pad. He bowed to Arasaka’s autarch. An entourage of soldiers, bodyguards, and attendants stood at the ready, surrounded by the rooftop’s antennae, satellite dishes, and giant ventilation fans.</p><p>Panam got up from her seat and lifted V’s right arm around her neck. Judy got up and did the same with the merc’s left arm. They lifted V up together and carried her through the door, carefully stepping out of the AV into the windy exterior.</p><p>The man speaking to Yorinobu was bowing repeatedly. “<em>Hai, Arasaka-sama. Sugu ni.</em>” (Yes, Arasaka-sama. Right away). He then turned towards the others in the retinue, and motioned for someone to step forward.</p><p>A short, plump man in an attendant’s uniform stepped forward. He wore a dark grey mandarin collar jacket with white shoulder boards, white gloves on his hands, and plain black trousers. Smiling, he bowed deeply in front of the two men.</p><p>Yorinobu turned to Judy and Panam. “This is Daisuke,” he said, pointing at the attendant. “He will show you to your room and take care of anything you may need.”</p><p>Daisuke bowed at the three, still smiling.</p><p>“I have matters to attend to,” Yorinobu continued. “Please let me know once V wakes up. It is important that we speak.”</p><p>After a curt nod, Yorinobu departed for one of the two elevators on the rooftop. The vast majority of his retinue followed him, with only Daisuke and a couple of Arasaka soldiers remaining behind with the three women.</p><p>The smiling attendant looked at Panam and Judy. “Do you require assistance in carrying her?” he asked.</p><p>Panam crinkled her nose at him. “We’ll be fine,” she said.</p><p>The courteous attendant bowed once more. “Please, follow me.”</p><p>The group made for the other elevator. Judy and Panam had to brace themselves as they crossed the landing pad; a violent gust of wind nearly toppled the trio over. Once they all got inside, Daisuke keyed in Floor 111 of 136 on a digital screen. As the elevator began whooshing down along the hoistway, Judy stared at her reflection in one of the glossy lead-coloured walls. She looked a ragged mess. A monitor built into the elevator wall displayed an epitaph for Saburo Arasaka. Judy was somewhat glad V wasn’t awake.</p><p>Once the elevator halted with a ding, the doors opened to reveal a large atrium, with an illuminated three-pronged Arasaka logo on the opposite wall.</p><p>Daisuke stepped out and turned left, with the rest following suit. They made their way through a large hallway surrounded by polished charcoal-coloured walls with silver accents and equally-glossy flooring. Miniature katsura trees and raised flowerbeds with prismatic azaleas were placed here and there, probably to spruce up the otherwise drab grey interior.</p><p>“So, this is the place V broke into?” Panam asked Judy, as they both kept dragging the merc along, supporting her on their shoulders.</p><p>“Guess so,” the techie replied.</p><p>The smiling attendant picked up on their conversation and looked back at them, still walking onwards. “Do not worry, such a security breach is no longer possible.”</p><p>“Oh yeah? Why’s that?” asked Panam.</p><p>“Our security systems have received extensive upgrades. In addition, every single member of staff is required to be highly proficient in combat. Most personnel have had their contracts terminated. I have recently been posted here myself,” he replied.</p><p>“What, even desk jockeys? Even you?”</p><p>“Apologies, I do not know what a ‘desk jockey’ is. My specialisation is killing a man with a ballpoint pen in twelve different ways.” He patted his jacket’s breast pocket; a pen was clipped to it on the inside.  </p><p>“Heh. And what if you lose it?” Panam further inquired.</p><p>Still smiling, the tubby little attendant spun his left hand around, unscrewing it like a bottlecap – his white glove hid its cybernetic nature. He removed his left hand with his right, and pulled out a pair of chrome nunchucks from inside his forearm. He briefly waved the weapon at the two women with a smile, then stowed them back away inside his arm, screwing his hand back on. He then bowed his head and carried on leading them further down the hallway.</p><p>Panam was amused by the display – and the deceptively unimposing attendant.</p><p>After a couple of turns down more impressively shiny but otherwise soulless grey corridors, the group stopped in front of an opaque sliding glass door, styled like a traditional Japanese <em>shōji</em> with a lattice frame.</p><p>Daisuke slid the door open and ushered the trio inside. “This is your room. If you require anything, there is a button you can press by the entrance to summon me,” he informed them.</p><p>It was customary to remove one’s shoes at the threshold. Daisuke hid his shock when Judy and Panam went right inside by quickly bowing and shuffling back the way they came.</p><p>The trio stepped inside a spacious area that continued the modern design trend but with traditional Japanese interior design elements. The floor was covered in grey <em>tatami</em> mats, with the suite being divided into smaller segments by glass <em>fusuma </em>sliding doors. The rooms were decorated with a mix of Western and Japanese furniture: the main area featured ornate futons, dressers, a large wall-mounted television, and a bar, while also featuring a <em>chabudai </em>table with short legs and <em>zabuton </em>cushions for sitting on the floor.</p><p>Panam and Judy navigated to the large bedroom as they dragged V along. The weight of V’s golden cybernetic leg produced a heavy scraping sound against the <em>tatami </em>flooring.  </p><p>Inside the bedroom was a low-platform bed with a nightstand atop which a small bonsai tree was placed. A large floor-to-ceiling window allowed for an eastward view over Japantown.</p><p>The two gently laid V on the bed. Panam retrieved her jacket, exposing V’s tattered t-shirt and the coincidentally-appropriate V-shaped scar on her chest. Luckily for the merc, they weren’t deep cuts.</p><p>“What happened to her, Judy?” Panam asked, as she put her jacket back on.</p><p>Judy’s memory was foggy – everything’d happened so quickly. Images of Béatrice’s bloodthirsty assault flashed in her mind; and a chill crept down her spine.</p><p>Judy sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at the floor. “There… there was this… psycho bitch… a cyborg, fully decked-out.” She paused to take a deep breath. “She… she’s the one who killed Carol. Also killed Teddy… Almost killed V…”</p><p>Panam sat down next to her and placed a hand on the techie’s back. “It’s okay, Judy. You’re okay.” Panam screwed up her face in thought. “Do you know what happened to the cyborg?”</p><p>Judy shook her head. “I-I… couldn’t see. Those jet fighters might’ve taken her out, but… I don’t know.”</p><p>Panam nodded pensively. “That house where I found you both…”</p><p>“My grandparents’…” came Judy’s response.</p><p>“Shit… were they…?”</p><p>The knot in Judy’s throat was back. “Inside, yes…” she said with a tremor in her voice.</p><p>Noticing her quivering chin, Panam pulled Judy in for a hug.</p><p>It was strange, being comforted by someone she’d only known for a few hours. As with any stranger though, Judy couldn’t help but keep her guard up. She knew Panam was good people though – the Aldecaldos had saved her and V’s life. But part of her couldn’t stomach the idea of breaking down in front of Panam. Judy bit her lip and said nothing.</p><p>After a while, Panam pulled herself away and looked at the techie. “Listen, I have to go meet up with some of my people here; figure some things out.” Panam looked around the room. “I think it’s safe for me to go. I don’t think Yorinobu wants to hurt us.”  </p><p>Judy nodded without a word.</p><p>“If you need me to stay with you though, I will,” Panam said.  </p><p>“N-no… that’s fine.”</p><p>Panam pressed her lips together. “Are you sure?”</p><p>The techie nodded once more, still looking down.</p><p>“Alright. I won’t be long,” she said. “If you need anything, here’s where you can reach me.”</p><p>The nomad’s eyes briefly flashed a bright blue as she transferred her contact details to Judy. She then got up from the bed. “I’ll see you in a bit.”</p><p>Judy looked up at the Aldecaldo and nodded wordlessly again. She watched Panam exit the bedroom and make her way out of the executive suite, hearing the sliding door of the main entrance open and close with a faint thud.  </p><p>She then looked at the unconscious merc on the bed, reaching out to gently stroke her cheek. Her fingers left black marks on V’s face. Horrified, Judy examined her hands to discover they were grimy, covered in dirt, dried blood, and soot from the fire and chaos in New Ashland. She got up from the bed and wrapped V in the bed’s duvet. She then made her way out of the bedroom and looked around the executive suite for a bathroom.</p><p>Eventually spotting it, she stepped inside a cream-coloured tiled room. It too featured a wall-to-wall window that opened up to the bustling cityscape. A square <em>furo </em>bathtub made of marble lay in the centre. Judy circled around it, walking past a decorative lucky bamboo plant to reach an ornate sink with a wide mirror behind it.</p><p>She began washing her hands, rubbing them against the fragrant bar of soap she picked up. She kept rubbing and rinsing them, but a lot of the soot and dried blood still didn’t wash away. So she scrubbed harder, and faster. And then faster still, using the tips of her fingers, scrubbing as if her life depended on it. She had to get the soot out. She had to get the dried blood off. Whose blood was it? She didn’t know. But it had to come off, like <em>right now</em>. Why wasn’t it coming off, already? Frantically scratching her palms, sharp stings let her know that she had scraped a bit of skin off.</p><p>She threw the bar of soap at the mirror in a fit of rage; it bounced off the surface and plopped onto the tiled floor. Her hands were shaking; they were still not fully clean.</p><p>Judy looked up at her reflection. She looked at the bruise mark around her neck. She tentatively touched it with a hand; it was sore. She knew the cyborg woman had choked her, but she couldn’t remember much as she’d passed out. She splashed some of the cold water over her face; rivulets ran down along her skin, soaking the top of her tank top.</p><p>As she stared at the weary-eyed figure in the mirror, everything came crashing back – all the thoughts and repressed memories of what had occurred. Her blood ran cold.</p><p>With a sinking feeling in her stomach, she began backpedalling towards the <em>furo</em>. She grabbed the edge of the square bathtub with one hand and lowered herself to seat on the rim.</p><p>No longer having to put on a brave face for anyone, Judy finally broke down. Her quiet sobs mixed with the echo of the running water from the tap.</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>V slowly opened her eyes, only to be met with a dazzling radiance that forced them back shut.</p><p>She shielded them with a hand, and squinted. The brightness emanated from all over. It was all-white as far as the eye could see.</p><p>Her pulse started racing. This place was familiar.</p><p>She got up from the hard floor and looked around. Nothing but empty whiteness.</p><p>“Oh, fuck me. Not this shit again,” she said, letting out a sigh. “Why’s it gotta be so fuckin’ bright?!”</p><p>Immediately after uttering her frustration, the blazing whiteness relented and dimmed. She no longer had to avert her eyes and shield them; no longer had to squint, in fact. V lowered her hand. It was still white all around, but it was no longer blinding her.</p><p>“Huh…” V huffed.</p><p>She inspected her surroundings once more, even looking up at the sky… or, rather, the very high all-white ceiling. Emptiness.</p><p>“Uhh… I’d kill for a stiff drink right about now?” V hesitantly said, eyes darting around the whitescape, expecting a bottle of Centzon or something to materialise. Anything would do, really.</p><p>Looking around some more, she was disappointed to find there was no drink anywhere. She tried lifting a hand to rub the back of her neck, but it felt heavy. Panicking, she looked at it and noticed she was suddenly wielding a Malorian Arms 3516 pistol – just like Johnny’s one. She studied it, feeling the heavy weight of it in her hand, and tracing fingers along the titanium alloy frame.</p><p>“The hell?”</p><p>V shifted her gaze back up from the pistol to the open space in front of her. Where a moment ago she saw nothing but a barren whiteness, a few meters away from her she now spotted an elderly man in a navy-blue kimono kneeling <em>seiza</em>-style on a cushion, like in a formal Japanese tea ceremony.</p><p>The kneeling man was none other than Saburo Arasaka. He was peering intently at V behind his tinted round spectacles. The impassivity with which he glared at her would have unnerved most – but not the merc; V started seeing red.</p><p>Gripping the pistol tightly, she clenched her jaw and stomped towards him. Towering over the ancient figure knelt in front of her, she then put the barrel of her pistol to his balding, blemish-pocked head.</p><p>Saburo did not display even a hint of emotion.</p><p>V flicked the safety switch off; the pistol buzzed in acknowledgement. She planted the end of the barrel on Saburo’s head.</p><p>“Shouldn’t have come here, old man,” she said with gritted teeth.</p><p>Saburo blinked at her. “<em>Jishin… kaminari… kaji… oyaji…</em>” (Earthquakes… thunderbolts… fires… fathers), he slowly said with his gruff voice, cool and composed.</p><p>She dug the gun’s barrel deeper into his forehead. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!” she bellowed.</p><p>“<em>Chīsana ari. Anata wa jishin yori ōkī hitobito o osorete iru hazudearu</em>.” (You should fear those greater than yourself, little ant).</p><p>V squeezed the trigger. In a split second, muzzle flash and a deafening noise erupted from the gun barrel. The recoil of the high-calibre pistol sent her arm knocking back.</p><p>The bullet went straight through Saburo’s head. Blood sprayed onto V’s face and clothes, and left spatters on the floor behind him. The impact hurled the kneeling form away such that he landed on his back. A crimson pool formed on the floor.</p><p>V was panting heavily. She wiped the driblets of blood from her face with the back of her hand. It was likely of no use though – she was most probably just smearing the blood all over her face. She gave Saburo’s body a disgusted look, before turning around and scanning the landscape again.</p><p>She now saw a long L-shaped bar in the middle of the whiteness, with several cushioned barstools in front. Along the top of its length ran a cyan neon light; the bottom had a galvanised metal strip acting as a footrest for those sat on the barstools. She recognised where the bar was plucked from immediately – her old watering hole, <em>El Coyote Cojo</em>.</p><p>She walked towards it, spotting a bottle of Centzon Tōtōchtin and a couple of upturned rocks glasses. Once she reached the bar, she sat down on one of the stools and placed the Malorian Arms pistol on the counter. She uncorked the bottle and poured the tequila in one of the glasses. She downed it in one go, and smacked her lips in satisfaction.</p><p>“Nice work, V. Could’ve done it cleaner, though.”</p><p>Startled, she turned to face the source of the voice to her right.</p><p>Johnny Silverhand was sat on the stool next to her, smirking, with his Burgundy aviators on and a smoke in hand. He nodded in the direction of Saburo’s corpse. “Two for two – both Smasher and gramps over there. Looks like you’ve truly avenged me.”</p><p>“Asshole,” she said to him, before focusing back on her drink and pouring herself another glass.</p><p>“Hey now, why you gotta be like that.” Johnny leaned forward on the barstool, resting his arms on the counter. “Gonna pour me one?”</p><p>After defiantly refusing to acknowledge him for a few moments, V took the other rocks glass and filled it with the Centzon tequila. She then slid the glass across the counter towards him.</p><p>Johnny caught the glass with his organic hand; it clinked against the rings on his fingers. He took a mouthful, before setting the glass back down. “Now that’s the stuff,” he said with a satisfied sigh. “So, why the long face, V?”</p><p>V shot him an annoyed look. “You said you’d be right there with me.”</p><p>“Who says I wasn’t?”</p><p>“Didn’t see you appear outta thin air like you used to. No wiseass remarks either.”</p><p>Johnny shrugged. “Look, this is as much a learning process for me as it is for you. Feels like I know everything that’s happened to you since, even though I wasn’t there.”</p><p>The merc furrowed her brow.</p><p>She had to get out of here. The fire… Judy’s grandparents… Yorinobu. Where were they now? Were they safe?</p><p>“You can’t trust him, V. Whatever that Arasaka piece of shit wants from you, it’s bound to end badly.”</p><p>“Are you readin’ my mind?”</p><p>“Maybe…”</p><p>V sighed. “Why am I here, Johnny?”</p><p>“You askin’ me? This is your head we’re inside.” He looked at the Malorian Arms on the counter. “Nice iron, by the way. Solid choice,” he said, pointing to it.</p><p>V pursed her lips in annoyance and stared at her empty glass. “Just when I thought I could start making heads or tails of this fuckin’ circus…”</p><p>“Heh. Guess it doesn’t help you’re a few clowns short of a circus yourself,” Johnny remarked. He polished off his drink and slammed the empty glass on the counter.</p><p>V shot daggers at him.</p><p>“Hey, don’t look at me like that,” he said. “You walked right into that one.”  </p><p>The merc rolled her eyes and shook her head.</p><p>“Okay, fine… look, I know you’re itching to get back,” Johnny started. “But let’s think about things for a moment. Something clearly happened to you after that heist. My engram left with Alt… and yet here I am.”</p><p>V took another gulp of tequila. “Hmph. Got this message from someone sayin’ she found files from Night Corp on me. Sayin’ they fucked with my head in those three months I blacked out. Said that’s keeping me alive. Maybe they added your engram back?”</p><p>Johnny shook his head. “Nah, that’s impossible. Alt took me beyond the Blackwall, no-one would dare venture that far out. Which can only mean I’m not… me…”</p><p>“What are you then?”</p><p>“I’m… you? Or at least a part of you… pretending to be me…”</p><p>V eyed him curiously. “And that doesn’t piss you off?”</p><p>“The real me is out there somewhere. That’s what matters.”</p><p>“How selfless,” V scoffed.</p><p>If this Johnny was really a part of her, and they’ve been combined into some bizarre gestalt consciousness, it would make sense he’d feel that way. V was glad Johnny, the <em>actual</em> Johnny, was alive… even if he was just an amalgam of ones and zeros in cyberspace.</p><p>“Yes, gestalt is the right word. Kinda fucked up, actually,” Johnny mused.</p><p>“You did it again! How’re you readin’ my mind?”</p><p>“I <em>am</em> part of your mind, V.”</p><p>“Then… why does this feel different from before?”</p><p>Johnny didn’t reply immediately, looking up at the ceiling-sky in thought. “Guess we were two people sharing the same head. Now… we <em>are </em>the same head?”</p><p>V shook her head. “Great, as if things couldn’t get any worse…”</p><p>“Hey, according to that message you received, <em>I’m </em>keeping us alive,” he pointed out. “You’re welcome, by the way. Think that deserves a refill.” Johnny smirked.</p><p>It would seem that once again Johnny was the reason she was alive - the reason she defied the Reaper so many times after what would’ve otherwise been a fatal mistake at Konpeki Plaza.</p><p>“You’re goddamn right,” Johnny intuited. He passed his glass to V.</p><p>The merc sighed and poured some more of the amber drink, sliding the glass back to him. Johnny happily drained it.</p><p>V contemplatively rubbed the rim of her glass with an index finger, eventually letting out an amused huff. “Guess they did make a terrorist of me after all.”</p><p>The rockerboy took a drag of his cig, then began drumming his fingers on the counter. “Think what you did for those country bumpkins was terrorism, V? Did you not see how cheerful they were back there, getting a taste of the forbidden fruit?”</p><p>“Judy was right. What I did was bound to displace them, ruin their lives… if the ESA hadn’t attacked that is – which was also my fault.”  </p><p>Johnny leaned closer to her. “What you did, V, was stand up to the forces of fuckin’ entropy destroyin’ what’s left of the human spirit. You brought a sliver of happiness to those people’s miserable lives. And they’ll never forget that.”</p><p>V scrunched up her features, looking confused. “The human spirit…? Seriously? The planet’s fucked ‘cause of humans.”</p><p>“Not ‘cause of your average Joe and Jane, though. Catastrophic failures at the fuckin’ highest levels of society got us into this mess. Those failures snowballed, and morphed into the perversion of civilisation that we have today.”</p><p>V rotated her barstool to look the rockerboy dead in the eye. “Fuck! In plain English - what is it you’re tryin’ to tell me?”</p><p>Johnny sighed. “When you and I – or the real Johnny, whatever – when we roamed the streets of Night City together, we had a single mission in mind – getting the chip out of your head. Mission accomplished. You’ve got your second chance now, and I’ve told you this before – use it to make a difference.”</p><p>“What do you want me to do, Johnny? I can’t save the fuckin’ world, I’m a nobody. I can’t even save myself… Don’t even deserve to be saved, matter of fact.”</p><p>“Oh come on, V. Don’t tell me you’re gonna shed a tear for those fucksticks in the Crystal Palace,” he said, raising his arms in frustration. “You gotta be someone to be let into a place like that, and you don’t get to be someone unless you get your hands <em>real</em> dirty.”</p><p>“Whatever. It’s not just me I gotta worry about, Johnny. And time’s a-wastin’. Fact I’m here means I’m probably still alive. Gotta delta. Ho-…”</p><p>“Wait,” Johnny said as he lifted a palm at her. “There’s something I gotta tell you. Something the real me would sooner take to his grave.”</p><p>Pausing, V folded her arms in front of her chest and looked at him expectantly.</p><p>Johnny took his aviators off, and regarded her with a meaningful look. His eyes brimmed with words that needed to be spoken. “The Assault on ‘Saka Tower, when I set off the nuke? That wasn’t me.”</p><p>V narrowed her eyes and blinked rapidly. “What d’you mean…? I saw your memories. I saw you plant the bomb in the elevator shaft.”</p><p>“I was there, but it wasn’t my gig. Wasn’t my plan. Wasn’t my bomb. Hell, I almost didn’t go.”</p><p>Confused, V shook her head at him and shrugged, beckoning him to continue.</p><p>“Much as I wanted you to believe I was a hotshot full of piss and vinegar, I couldn’t pull a nuke out of my ass,” he said, puffing on his cigarette and expelling a cloud of smoke into the air. “This was back during the last corporate war. It was Militech. They hired the best soldiers of fortune there were to hit the tower. Rogue was one of them – she picked me up and let me tag along. She figured I’d want to get back at Arasaka, for what they did to Alt ten years before that. She had other intentions though, as we later discovered…”</p><p>“Okay…” V pinched the bridge of her nose in thought. “So, who… who set it all up?”</p><p>Johnny poured himself another drink. “Morgan Blackhand. Sure you’ve heard of him,” he disclosed. He downed his tequila.</p><p>“I have.”</p><p>“He was on Militech’s payroll. He put the team together, and he led the assault.”</p><p>“Uhuh. He disappeared around that time,” V recalled. “Didn’t see him in your memories though – did he make it out?”</p><p>Johnny nodded. “He did. We were one of three teams, and our chopper was the last one out. But Rogue struck a deal with Smasher, who wanted my ass for reasons that aren’t relevant, yadda yadda… you know the rest.”</p><p>V shrugged. “Why are you tellin’ me this, Johnny?”</p><p>“Because I was a fuckin’ poser V! I was angry at the world, and the only thing I did was preach in front of millions of people. Only when shit got personal did I feel compelled to do something, and I failed at that too. Alt got kidnapped, and I lost her forever. I spiralled down from there, and ran off with a bunch of nomads. For ten years I fuckin’ did nothing but hit the bottle and shout.”</p><p>“Why did you go with Rogue to assault ‘saka Tower then?”</p><p>“Because I finally woke up! After a decade of screaming into microphones and doing lines of SynthCoke from the asscracks of hookers, I was fed up with it all! The world disgusted me, V. I felt I couldn’t breathe. I know you feel it too.”</p><p>She thought of the ever-present tightness in her chest that squeezed her like a vice. She thought of the nigh on debilitating headache whenever anything corpo-related sprang to mind.</p><p>“See? You know what I’m talking about,” Johnny said, confirming her thoughts.</p><p>“Stop readin’ my mind, for fuck’s sake!”</p><p>“Haven’t you been payin’ attention? I fuckin’ can’t!” Johnny exclaimed. “Anyway, remember how you felt when you played Robin Hood? That fuckin’ quintessential wrongness was righted for a brief moment, wasn’t it? That’s how I felt when I finally grew a pair and did something! When I was putting blooming roses right between the eyes of ‘saka goons that night.”</p><p>V pressed her lips into a thin line. “You broadcasted a message, didn’t you? Saw it in your memories… Spider Murphy helped you…”</p><p>“It was a call to arms, V. For the people to stand up for themselves, to cast down their oppressors. I wanted to take charge. Be the tip of the fuckin’ spear…” Johnny took in a deep breath, then exhaled. “But Rogue sold me out, and they caught me… So it’s up to you to carry the torch, V.”</p><p>V scoffed. “The fuck makes you think I can? That I’d even want to?”</p><p>“Because you’ve got the fuckin’ chutzpah. You’re a natural-born fighter. Maybe you were born to fight them? To <em>really </em>fight them. Hell, every time you do, you come out on top somehow.” Johnny placed a hand on V’s shoulder. “Don’t use my failure as an excuse to not try. You<em> can</em> do it. Not expecting you to save the fuckin’ world, it’s not that simple. But as long as there’s one person fighting the good fight, they haven’t won, V.”</p><p>His words did resonate with a part of her – they were now inextricably linked, after all. Yet the conflict swelled within her – the struggle so perfectly encapsulated by the question posed to her by Dexter DeShawn – <em>Quiet life, or blaze of glory?</em></p><p>Inside her mind though, Johnny was omniscient. “It’s too late for a quiet life. Like I said, the world will keep trying to fuck you. So, fuck it right back. And not just for your sake, but for hers too. You know who I mean.”   </p><p>V slowly shook her head in bewilderment. “You told me none of this stuff before Mikoshi… how do I know this is actually you talking, and this isn’t just a load of fake horseshit planted by Night Corp?”</p><p>Johnny rolled his eyes. “The real me’s got too much of a puffed-up ego to admit he was a washout. Besides, we had more important things to take care of than regaling you with my sob story. Maybe if we had more time together… who the fuck knows?”</p><p>“Johnny… It’s not gonna end well for me if I go on a fuckin’ crusade.”</p><p>“It’s not gonna end well for you if you don’t either - you can’t run away from them, V. Like I said, there are no happy endings. Wrong city, wrong people. You’ve dragged that poor girl into your mess, you’ve got no choice now. Gather your strength. Gather your allies. And fight.”</p><p>V shook her head, and turned away from him. After brooding into her drink for a few minutes, she got up from the barstool. “I… I gotta go, Johnny,” she said rubbing her temple.</p><p>“One last thing, V… Morgan Blackhand…? He didn’t disappear.”</p><p>She looked at him askance. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“You’ve met the fucker… He’s your blue-eyed friend. The one who gave you that job.”</p><p>“Wh-… what? Blue Eyes? Him?”</p><p>Johnny nodded. “Yup. He’s got shiny new eyes and a fancy suit, but that’s him alright. Would recognise him anywhere.”</p><p>“Fuck’s sake Johnny, why didn’t you tell me this before?!”</p><p>The rockerboy shrugged. “Sorry, V. Told you, learning process and all. I couldn’t remember much of me… couldn’t remember much of you, either.”  </p><p>“Fuck…” V murmured, looking in the distance and rubbing the back of her neck. “Last thing I remember was him givin’ me those codes to the casino.”</p><p>“Looks like all the pieces are falling into place. Night Corp. Blue Eyes. Morgan Blackhand. They mushed us together into one and wiped your memory.” Johnny said. “I bet they weren’t expecting us to figure it out.” Johnny clasped his hands together loudly. “I’d say this bit of soul-searching has been quite productive. You’re gonna go kick their asses, right?”</p><p>V balled her fists and clenched her jaw. “How do I get out of here?”</p><p>“Your head, your rules.”</p><p>V closed her eyes and channelled her inner thoughts. Or more appropriately, the thoughts within her thoughts, for she was already inside her own mind. When she opened her eyes back up, a large, freestanding oval mirror appeared a few feet away from the two. Except, it wasn’t a mirror – a brighter whiteness was somehow contained within the mirror-like object’s golden frame.</p><p>“What, no magic door this time?” he chuckled.</p><p>“I don’t fuckin’ know how this shit works!” V exclaimed. She walked towards the mirror, eventually coming to a stop right in front of it. She glanced back at Johnny.</p><p>He shrugged. “Can’t leave, so I guess I’ll be here. You got this, V. Remember, don’t be a chickenshit – and don’t trust Arasaka.”</p><p>The merc nodded at him. “See you around, Johnny. And… thanks… for keepin’ us alive.”</p><p>The rockerboy saluted her with two fingers, before about-facing towards the bar and pouring himself another drink.</p><p>V also turned back to face the mirror. She let out a deep sigh. “I hate portals,” she muttered, before diving headfirst into the whiteness.</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>With quick, short breaths, V opened her eyes. She was in a beige-coloured room, staring at some intricate wooden beams crossing the ceiling. That damned headache was back.</p><p>She looked around the room as she lay on the bed, wrapped in a warm duvet. It looked modern, yet traditionally Japanese. For a moment she thought she was back in Arasaka’s casino on the Crystal Palace, until she noticed an urban skyline through the giant window off to the side. Even though it was night, there was no doubt about the iconic billboards – she was back in Night City.</p><p>She threw the blanket off and got up from the bed. She felt a slight stinging sensation on her torso. Looking down, she pulled apart the tattered fabric of her t-shirt to reveal the V-shaped scar from the cyborg’s mantis blades. She then looked at the blood-soaked rag wrapped around her left palm. Her face probably looked a horrid mess, too?</p><p>V tiptoed around the room towards the sliding door. She carefully opened it and peeked through the crack. The adjoining room resembled a lounge. Her heart leapt in her chest when she saw the figure standing by the giant window, idly gazing out with a steaming-hot beverage in hand.</p><p>“Judy?” V called out, sliding the door further open.</p><p>The techie snapped from her trance and looked at her. “Hey, you,” she said with a smile.  </p><p>V hastened towards Judy and embraced her.</p><p>Feeling the warmth of Judy’s skin lit up a fire within her, banishing the darkness that threatened to engulf her soul.</p><p>“Are you okay?” V asked, parting long wisps of green-pink hair to the side.</p><p>“Yeah… I’m fine.”</p><p>The merc pulled away to look at her. “Where are we?” she said, looking around the room. “Is this…?”  </p><p>“Arasaka Tower,” Judy confirmed.</p><p>Her migraine flared up, as though someone cracked her head open and scrambled her brain matter with a whisk. “No… we… we gotta delta the fuck outta here.” V grabbed Judy’s hand and starting making for the exit, or what was hopefully an exit.</p><p>But Judy wouldn’t let herself be pulled away from the window. “V, wait.”</p><p>“We can’t wait! It’s not safe!”</p><p>“V, calm down. Yorinobu hasn’t harmed us. He just wants to talk to you.”</p><p>V felt her cheeks getting flushed with rage. “Talk?! Judy, he’s the fucker who tried to have me killed!”</p><p>“Please, just hear him out,” Judy pleaded. “Maybe he can help us find out what’s wrong with you. You’ve not collapsed since-…”</p><p>“Judy, I know what’s wrong with me,” V interrupted. “Figured it all out. Please, let’s just get outta here, I’ll tell you everythin’.”</p><p>“There she is!” came a voice from elsewhere, much to the merc’s surprise.</p><p>Startled, V quickly pivoted her head to find a smiling Panam standing in a doorway to one of the other rooms, arms folded and one ankle crossed over the other.</p><p>“Panam? What the hell-…”</p><p>“’It’s so good to see you, Panam!’” the nomad playfully mocked in a deeper voice, in an attempt to mirror V's. “Why yes, it’s good to see you too, V!” she then exclaimed in her normal tone.</p><p>The dumbfounded merc struggled for words. “Wh-what are you doin’ here?”</p><p>Panam shrugged. “Couldn’t let Judy carry your fat ass all by herself,” she winked. “Have a seat.” Panam gestured next to V, to a round, ornate dining table flanked by equally opulent-looking chairs.</p><p>Confused by the bizarreness of it all, V’s gaze flitted between Judy and Panam, unable to tell whether this was another dream or not. Eventually, she relented. “Panam… wh-what about the others? They need you…” V said as she sat down on one of the dining chairs.</p><p>“You and Judy needed me, too. Besides, Saul’s taking care of things.”</p><p>V rubbed her temples with both hands. “How long have I been out?” she asked.</p><p>“Since this mornin’,” Judy said, handing the merc a cup of coffee. “Black, with two sugars.”</p><p>V took the mug and smiled at Judy. “Tough on the outside…”</p><p>“… sweet on the inside,” Judy completed with a grin.</p><p>The memory of Judy’s quip from Laguna Bend, describing V perfectly solely from her coffee preference, set the merc somewhat at ease.</p><p>Judy planted a kiss on V’s hair and pulled up a chair, sitting down next to her. “It’s almost midnight now.”</p><p>“Shit… been out a while then. What have you two been up to? You sure it’s safe here?” V asked worriedly. Surely, it couldn’t have been.</p><p>Panam nodded. “We’ve cleaned ourselves up, have been catching some z’s. I went and met with Dakota. She’s been keeping me appraised of the situation in Oregon.”</p><p>V took a sip of the coffee and braced herself for the bad news. “Go on then, hit me…”</p><p>“Thirteen killed, seventeen wounded, nine MIA,” Panam said with a sigh.</p><p>“Fuck…” V slowly breathed.</p><p>Panam sat down on an ornate velvet sofa opposite them. “Carol and Teddy are dead. Cassidy was in critical condition when we found him, but he’s stable now – thank fuck.”</p><p>“Shit…” V shook her head. “Uhh… Panam, there was this kid I was next to… James?”</p><p>“I don’t know. We’ve not located him yet.”</p><p>V rested her head in one hand and stared at the floor. “Shit, Pan…” she said.</p><p>“Would’ve been much worse had Arasaka not intervened,” the nomad mused.</p><p>V pursed her lips and remained silent.</p><p>Panam sighed. “We’ll be alright, V. We’ll survive. Some of the townsfolk decided to join up with us. The Basilisk took a beating but is intact… More importantly, the greenhouses are intact too.”</p><p>“Guess Saul must be pretty pleased,” V noted.</p><p>“He is. Biotechnica are out there right now, and they’re pretty happy with us. They didn’t believe us at first, thought we were the ones who attacked the town. Until they saw the bodies and drones and stuff… but we got a pretty big payout, so we won’t be starving for a long while at least.”  </p><p>“Yeah, silver lining… but… so much death… all because of me,” V lamented.</p><p>“V, we did what we had to do,” Panam said emphatically. “We weren’t in good conscience going to let you die.”</p><p>“Panam I… can’t thank you enough. Don’t think I’ll ever be able to.”</p><p>“No thanks needed. You’ve helped us tons, too. This is what friends are for.”</p><p>V nodded slowly, then turned towards Judy; their eyes met. “I’m so sorry, Jude. I should’ve got them out soon as shit hit the fan…” she said, before pulling Judy in for a hug.</p><p>For her part, Judy had let it all out earlier in the day. But a wound which cut that deep could not heal so easily. Her eyes moistened as she let herself be embraced. She tightly closed her eyes and bit her lip.  </p><p>Pulling away after a while, Judy wiped the tears away. “Yorinobu’s right, V. They’ll never stop chasin’ us. We have to hear him out… please. He said he can help us.”</p><p>“But-…”</p><p>“They can’t have died for nothin’, V!” Judy exclaimed with a trembling jaw. “If we run, and they find us again and finish us off, my grandparents will have died for nothin’!”</p><p>Every fibre of V’s being, every ounce of her soul was screaming and raging at the idea of meeting with Yorinobu. This was Arasaka, after all – the crème de la crème of corporate sophistry and legerdemain. The alarm bells ringing inside her head were drowning out any and all rational arguments for hearing him out. All, save for one.</p><p>“Okay Judy,” V said. “Let’s see what he has to say. Where is he?”</p><p>“Easy there, tiger,” Panam interjected. “You look like shit. Get yourself cleaned up first.”</p><p>V downed her coffee and got up from the chair. “Alright. The sooner we get this done, the better.”</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Panam had summoned Daisuke, who waited for the trio at the entrance to the suite. He had confirmed Yorinobu was still up at this hour, and willing to receive them.</p><p>V was the first to emerge. Having cleaned herself up a bit, she’d put on a black leather jacket and dark grey tank top Panam had given her, who in turn procured the garments from her meeting with Dakota. Surprisingly, they were a good fit. Having too much of a fondness for them, V had not swapped out the black leather pants Judy’d given her back in New Ashland. The right pantleg was still torn from the knee down, exposing her golden cybernetic leg.</p><p>Daisuke bowed respectfully. “Hello Miss V. It is good to see you in good health,” he said.</p><p>V only glowered at the attendant. Judy and Panam exited the suite and flanked her.</p><p>“Take us to Yorinobu,” Judy said.</p><p> </p><p>Yorinobu’s office happened to be on the same floor. Daisuke led them back through the sleek charcoal hallways, seemingly towards the opposite end of the storey.</p><p>The group eventually reached an impressively large grey double door with an anodised texture and shiny, wavy motif on the bottom.</p><p>Daisuke stepped forward and knocked thrice on the door.</p><p>“<em>Ohairikudasai</em>,” (Come in) came a voice from inside.</p><p>The attendant bowed at the door. As if reacting to a command, it opened, revealing a spacious office inside.</p><p>Yorinobu Arasaka was sat at a large desk in the centre of the room. He had taken off the white blazer he wore in the morning, revealing a tieless navy Oxford shirt and white vest underneath.</p><p>Daisuke gestured towards the room, beckoning the trio to enter. They did so, and the attendant closed the door behind them.</p><p>V looked around the office. Whereas the suite she woke up in was decidedly truer to its Japanese heritage, Yorinobu’s office shirked any form of traditionalism, opting for a sleek fully-modern Western design. An oval conference table was present off to the left. The far side featured a three-seater sofa and an elegant glass coffee table, with a small liquor cabinet nearby.</p><p>Arasaka’s autarch got up from the impressively-sized glass-and-mahogany desk. “V, I am glad you came,” he said.</p><p>The merc crossed her arms and peered at him. “You wanted to talk – so talk,” she snapped.</p><p>“I will. But what I have to say is for your ears only,” Yorinobu stated.</p><p>“Not goin’ anywhere,” Judy interjected.</p><p>“Agreed. Where she goes, we go,” Panam added.</p><p>Yorinobu placed both arms on the desk and leaned forward. “V, I have to insist they leave while we discuss matters.”</p><p>V shrugged. “Then I have to insist you go fuck yourself.”</p><p>He sighed and sat back down in his chair, leaning on an armrest and rubbing his temple. “Very well,” he said, gesturing towards the three seats in front of the desk.</p><p>The trio sat down on the brown leather chairs; V occupied the middle one. She noticed Yorinobu’s desk was relatively bare, with only a laptop and a holoprojector present in the middle.</p><p>Yorinobu leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk, steepling his fingers. “Well, I’m glad I found you, V. As soon as they notified me, I flew back from Japan straight away.”</p><p>“Sounds like you wasted your time. Too bad,” V retorted.</p><p>“V, I think we got off on the wrong foot. You have questions. Allow me to-…”</p><p>“Don’t give a rat’s dick what you think,” V interrupted. “Fact of the matter is, you tried to have me killed several times.”</p><p>“Please, enlighten me.”</p><p>“Playin’ dumb? You sent those ninjas to take me out when Goro found me. You also sent Smasher after me, first when him and I took Hanako, then when I fought my way to Mikoshi.” V lifted her left wrist, revealing the small aperture from which her monowire could be pulled. “Tell me why I shouldn’t lop your head off right now?”</p><p>Yorinobu shook his head. “I have a feeling you will not believe me, but I assure you, it was a misunderstanding. When he found you, Takemura told me you were on the cusp of death. Things were… frantic, in the aftermath of what I had done. He was my father’s lapdog, and he had to be removed. I did not know you were alive, much less that you were working with him. Only when I had Smasher retrieve Hanako did I find out. But I did not want you dead. I stopped the board of directors from sending ninjas after you, in fact. They wanted the Relic back.”</p><p>“Doesn’t explain why you sicced Smasher on me when I attacked the tower.”</p><p>“The night of your raid happened to be the night I convened an emergency board meeting… to take them all out, and stop my sister from staging a coup. I thought Militech had caught wind of our internal affairs and smelt blood, deciding to attack that night. I had Smasher try to stop whatever was happening, while I was preoccupied with Hanako and the board.”</p><p>Panam wrinkled her brow. “How could you even work with a twisted fuck like Adam Smasher?”</p><p>Yorinobu looked to the side. “He was the only ally against my father. We were… what is the expression… ‘strange bedfellows.’ He was a twisted brute of a man… if you could call him that, who enjoyed the bloody work in his decades of service, but who otherwise resented my father for fitting a kill switch to him - in the literal sense, in case he disobeyed. Somehow, he found out I wanted to take over Arasaka, and he promised to help do whatever it takes. So, I made him my bodyguard, and dismissed all those who were loyal to Saburo. But I was not fond of him in the slightest. Quite the opposite.”</p><p>“You took out pops and you had your sister killed,” an annoyed Judy piped up. “Now what?”</p><p>His features stiffened as glanced at the techie. “Do not be so mockful. My sister once had a good heart… but my father corrupted her. I had no choice – it was one of the hardest things I have done.” He got up from his chair and gazed out the wall-sized window at the colourful, neon nightscape with his hands clasped at his back. “After my father’s death, I discovered my sister was plotting to stage a coup and detain me, in order to insert my father’s engram into my head – to wipe away my consciousness and seize my body. She wanted to bring Saburo Arasaka back from the dead.”</p><p>Despite having a burning hatred for the man in front of her, V couldn’t help but feel a morsel of sympathy on hearing that. She had faced the same existential peril, she had gone through the same struggle for survival, faced the same fears of being erased from the world. It would seem Yorinobu had fought the same fight as her, in a way. She was slightly startled when she felt Judy’s hand grab her own. Judy must’ve seen the unnerved look on her face.</p><p>“The purpose of the ‘Secure Your Soul’ program was twofold,” Yorinobu continued, “Knowledge, and power. The knowledge gained from digitising all those people would have helped ensure my father’s own inevitable procedure was as smooth as possible; the failure rate was not insignificant. Second, my father’s goal was always for Arasaka to achieve global dominance. He was a fiercely patriotic man. He was there, when the Americans dropped the two nuclear bombs on Japan.”</p><p>Panam straightened her shoulders. “That’s ancient history,” she noted.</p><p>Yorinobu turned to face the Aldecaldo. “You are correct. Yet that bit of ancient history fashioned him into the man he was. <em>Muri ga tōreba dōri ga hikkomu</em> – might makes right. He was going to have his revenge on Japan’s behalf, and he was going to bring the West to its knees. What better way to do so, than to hold hostage the engrams of the relatives belonging to the most powerful and influential people in the world?”</p><p>“I jacked Alt Cunningham into Mikoshi, and she destroyed it; put an end to all that,” V snapped.</p><p>“Yes, you did. In doing so, you saved me the trouble of destroying it myself… without making it seem like obvious self-sabotage.”</p><p>Despite his explanations, V still couldn’t make any sense of him or his motives. “Why did you steal the Relic?” she probed with a razor-edged tone.</p><p>“I have already told your companions about how I rebelled against my father. How I refused to be a part of his machinations. But I could not do anything about it, unless I took the corporation over. After decades, I was getting tired of waiting for an opportunity to strike… Smasher was getting impatient, too. But then, an opportunity to steal Silverhand’s engram presented itself to me. I had thought that perhaps with his help I could bring the corporation down… NetWatch were willing to help me communicate with him – but only if I gave them the technology behind the Relic.”</p><p>“How the hell did you figure a dead rockerboy from decades ago was goin’ to help you do that?” Judy asked. </p><p>“I… do not know,” Yorinobu admitted. He began pacing about his desk. “I made a mistake. I thought that my father was a tired, old man who had grown passive. That he would not notice. But I was wrong… He was always scheming behind the scenes, always alert. I had always resented him for the things he made me do… to the Steel Dragons, most of all. When he discovered me, I snapped…” He took a deep breath and exhaled. “Pinning it on an imaginary assassin would have been more difficult, were it not for your heist, V. You were a convenient scapegoat… I apologise,” he said, bowing his head.</p><p>“Uhuh. And here you are at the top of the pyramid, yet Arasaka’s still standing,” V pointed out.</p><p>Arasaka’s autarch nodded. “The pyramid is more like a house of cards… which is why we have to be quick.”</p><p>“You’ve been anythin’ but so far - so get to the point,” the merc demanded.</p><p>Yorinobu nodded. “My father was a cunning man – never without a second plan. In case of his death, he had an engram of himself made, and Hanako was to seize my body for him. In case ‘Secure Your Soul’ was not enough to have the world bow down to him, he came up with a more insidious plan.”</p><p>Panam quirked an eyebrow. “More insidious than copying people and uploading them to cyberspace to hold them prisoner?”</p><p>He regarded her with a solemn look. “Indeed. Though now that he is no more, his plan can be flipped on its head – turned into an opportunity.” He leaned forward and began typing on his laptop.</p><p>The holoprojector in the centre of the desk lit up, and a holographic image displayed in front of the trio. It was of a metallic object in the shape of a dodecahedron made up of many pentagons. The seam of each pentagon glowed a bright orange.</p><p>“This is the Arasaka Perpetual Nuclear Fusion Reactor Core – an entire power plant contained within a sphere the diameter of which is no bigger than this office,” Yorinobu announced.</p><p>An animation played, whereby two halves of a cybernetic-looking sphere joined and engulfed the polyhedron and locked together.</p><p>“It is actually a hybrid fusion-fission reactor… and it is technically not perpetual, having enough fuel to last just over two centuries. But that is irrelevant…”</p><p>“Heard about these on the radio,” Judy said.</p><p>V studied the sphere in front of her. It slowly pulsated an orange glow. “Why haven’t I heard anythin’ about ‘em?” she asked.</p><p>“These have the potential to quietly revolutionise humanity’s energy production,” Yorinobu said. “They are clean, they produce no radioactive waste, one of them can power half a city… Alas, clean energy is far less interesting to the average person than hearing details on the latest stabbing or shooting. Perhaps that is why you have not heard about them.”</p><p>V’s gaze shifted from the image to Yorinobu, whom she glared at. “What does this have to do with anythin’?”</p><p>“Though these have not been widely publicised, those who did need to know about them… do know. Saburo had been negotiating with hundreds of other corporations and governments of the world, selling these reactors to them. It is a miraculous piece of technology, and everyone has been jumping at the opportunity to buy them from us. Production has ramped up since I took over; still, we cannot make them fast enough to cover demand.”</p><p>“Clean energy? How is that insidious?” Panam asked.</p><p>“You would be naïve to think my father did not have an ulterior motive. Control. Domination. If people couldn’t be held hostage, entire cities around the world would,” Yorinobu said.</p><p>The holoprojector switched off, and the sphere disappeared.</p><p>“The reactor cores can be remotely detonated.”</p><p> </p><p>The room fell silent.</p><p>V thought she had waded waist-deep in Arasaka’s corporate muck, with the Relic and everything that had happened since. It would seem she had barely dipped her toes.</p><p>“How is that possible?” Panam asked with her mouth agape. “Wouldn’t someone have found out by now?”</p><p>Yorinobu leaned back in his chair. “There have been many audits by third parties. None have discovered the detonator triggers. Or perhaps, they have been paid to not discover anything… I am not sure. Arasaka have made it so that reverse-engineering them is extremely difficult, it will be a few years until our rivals crack the technology behind it.”</p><p>“Why are you tellin’ us all this? What’s your fuckin’ game, Yorinobu?” V barked.</p><p>He locked eyes with the merc. “My whole life I wanted to undo my father’s work. My whole life I thought Arasaka was a disease,” he replied with a raised voice. “But a disease it is not! It is a symptom! I have the power to unmake this corporation right now. Yet I know that if I do so, nothing will have changed. You think my father was the only power-hungry tyrant? I guarantee you there are thousands – no, tens of thousands more out there!”</p><p>Yorinobu got up from his seat. “Arasaka is but a symptom. Our society is the disease. I wish to purge our world of this disease." He paused to straighten the sleeves of his Oxford shirt. "I wish to trigger the remote detonation function of each nuclear reactor. All of them. All at once.”</p><p> </p><p>The trio looked at each other, completely at a loss for words.</p><p>Yorinobu studied each of them for a minute before turning to gaze out the window again, with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Shades of magenta, yellow and blue were cast on his face from the neon nightscape before him.  </p><p>V wasn’t sure if she was in another dream or not. So much of what Yorinobu had just said resonated with her – with what Johnny had preached earlier. Was she still stuck inside her head? Was this Yorinobu just another part of… whatever kind of bizzarro gestalt being she was now?   </p><p>V closed her eyes and tried thinking of magic portals again. When she opened them back up, none had materialised. This wasn’t a dream.</p><p>She squeezed Judy’s hand tight and glanced at her; the techie looked equally disconcerted and lost in thought. V then turned to look at Panam; the nomad’s face seemed to have gone pale. She was drinking something from a metallic flask, after which she pocketed it and gave V an innocent shrug. Did the burden of leadership make her hit the bottle?</p><p>V screwed her eyes up and looked at Yorinobu. “<em>You’re</em> able to detonate ‘em?”</p><p>“Yes, I have pieced together my father’s plan… All it takes is the push of a button.”</p><p>“And you want to cure society by turnin’ the world into a fuckin’ nuclear wasteland?” she asked. Her voice was low, her tone was sombre.</p><p>“A nuclear wasteland it shall not be,” he replied. He faced the trio and walked back to his desk, planting himself on a corner closer to them. “There are no radioactive particles created in the reactions. Just hydrogen, and helium.”</p><p>“So… what? Detonating them is just going to cause shockwaves?” Panam asked.</p><p>“Correct. Detonating a core causes an implosion that levels whatever building it is housed in. Governments and corporations are using them to power their headquarters, their offices, and whatever other facilities they deem important enough to have one. There are dozens of these reactors in every city.”</p><p>“Millions are still going to die!” the nomad protested.</p><p>Yorinobu cast his eyes down to the ground. “Tens of millions,” he corrected. “And it is regrettable. But we are all dead men and women walking. Born as such, one generation after another… this is the only way to break that cycle.”</p><p>V huffed a breath of derision. “Sure you don’t have Johnny stuck in your fuckin’ head, too?”</p><p>He smiled faintly at her. “Perhaps we could have been good friends, had we met…”</p><p>Though V’s demeanour was hostile towards him, he had certainly piqued her interest.</p><p>“Still haven’t told me what it is you want from me.”</p><p>“You are the only one who can give meaning to this plan. If people see buildings implode everywhere, see the world collapsing all around them, they will think it is the end of the world. But it is the polar opposite – it is the beginning of a new one, one where people are no longer the corporations’ chattel… their playthings. A world where people are free to forge their own destiny.”</p><p>“Sounds fuckin’ peachy,” V conceded. “But how the hell do you want me to send that message across?”</p><p>Yorinobu straightened his white vest and gave her a profound look. “You are going to put out a rallying call – a call to action. A call to break their shackles and cast off their chains. A call to rise from the ashes of this world as a phoenix would, and begin life anew, together, free from the entrapments of avarice and malice.”</p><p>V looked as confused as ever.</p><p>“You are going to be an inspiration,” Yorinobu said. “To do that, you are going to need the help of the most inspirational band that ever existed. You are going to bring back Samurai, you did it before after all. And you are going to have one final concert, broadcasted worldwide. A concert of the ages, to mark the end of an era and the beginning of a new. And it will be played on every single television, monitor, billboard, toaster. Anything with a screen.”</p><p>V’s headache had long since subsided. Her heart was thudding inside her chest, her pulse was racing. She was now flushed with excitement. What Yorinobu proposed went beyond even Johnny’s wildest dreams.</p><p>“As the new world is birthed in fire, there will not be any fearful panic or howls of terror… Instead, there will be a frenzy of excitement and cries of joy as they watch you play, while the old world is brought down around them.”</p><p>“How is this goin’ to get broadcasted worldwide?” the merc queried.</p><p>“I have an army of netrunners around the world that can take control of the major networks. I do not know if that will be enough, I am hoping you have connections that can help, too.”</p><p>“Do your people know what you’re plannin’ to do?”</p><p>“No, they do not. And they shall not.”</p><p>“And you’re gonna blow up Arasaka, too?”</p><p>“Yes, if nothing else. That was always the plan.”</p><p>V hesitated. “I-… how… No... This is you just tryin’ to seize control of the world...”</p><p>Yorinobu shook his head. “Were that the case, I would have just done it months ago. Would I have bothered looking for you so desperately? Would I have bothered saving you?”</p><p>She was trying to settle down, fidgeting nervously in her seat. “How can I trust you? How can I be sure you aren’t fuckin’ with me?” she asked.</p><p>“V… I know this is a lot to take in, but I have done nothing to deserve your mistrust. I did not retaliate after your hit on the parade, or after Mikoshi. After robbing Arasaka’s orbital casino, I decided to finally approach you for your help, but I could not locate you. I kept your home safe and stopped the European Space Agency from breaking in.”</p><p>The merc narrowed her eyes at him. Is that why her penthouse looked exactly the same after waking up from the heist? “Is this gonna get rid of the ESA?” she asked.</p><p>“They have our technology in their facilities on Earth, yes.”</p><p>Panam turned to face V with a crinkled brow. “You’re not seriously considering this, are you?”</p><p>“I dunno, Pan…” V said, rubbing the back of her neck. “If he’s not bullshittin’, this is my ticket to freedom… ‘n… I guess, everyone else’s too…”</p><p>“But-…”</p><p>“Think of the ‘caldos! No more Biotechnica, no more slavery. No more scraps from the table!”</p><p>“Nomads will be the custodians of the nascent world,” Yorinobu added.</p><p>Panam’s steely gaze wavered, tilting her head down to stare at her feet in thought.</p><p>Yorinobu’s peroration struck a chord deep within V. She wondered what Johnny would think about all this. Surely, he’d be jumping at the opportunity? How ironic that his greatest ambitions would be fulfilled not by her, but by one from a family he so truly despised. Then again, how could she do anything like this by herself? She was but an ant in this world. An insignificant gnat, caught up in the ever-turning gears of history. And a gnat like her could not hope to make the world, or break the world. At least, not on her own. Not without the right tools, and the right opportunity.</p><p>This opportunity seemed too good to be true. Almost like a fantasy, a dream come true - Johnny's, to be precise. Even moreso since it fell into her lap immediately after the heart-to-heart she'd just had with him... or her inner-him. Was it some weird coincidence? Or was it that funny thought she had previously - <em>destiny</em>. It couldn't be... there was no such thing, surely?</p><p>She noticed her headache was gone just now. The sense of wrongness, too. If she went through with this, could this quell her inner turmoil? That alone would be reason enough to go ahead with it, she thought.</p><p>If this was real, if there was no bullshit, and if this was actually able to happen – this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Hell, it was a once-in-a-century deal, perhaps even a millennium. Part of her wanted to run away, run far away from all this; corpo business never ended well. But part of her wanted to heed Johnny’s advice. To seize the bull by the horns. If she did this, if she teamed up with Yorinobu – there would potentially be no more corpo business, ever again... But on the other hand, Johnny warned her not to trust him. What would he have done here?</p><p>Just then, V remembered the time she'd first visited Clouds in search of Evelyn. Skye, one of the joytoys there, uttered some oddly prophetic words that'd stuck with her ever since.</p><p>
  <em>"Listen, V. Never look back. If you must kill, kill. If you must burn all the world to the ground, then let it burn. OK?"</em>
</p><p>The joytoy's program allowed her to glimpse into the deepest, darkest recesses of V's subconscious. That was back when V needed to desperately get the Relic out; to do whatever it took to survive. And this time was no different. But unlike then, V didn't know if she had any other recourse, and she likely didn't have the time to look. If toppling the world was what it took to survive, and perhaps do <em>some </em>good in the process, then so be it. She had no choice but to chance it and trust Yorinobu, as unpalatable as that was.</p><p>His plan would result in the death of millions; mostly of corpo-rats, but of many others too. Panam could come around and be convinced of its necessity, for the promise of a better world. But sweet, innocent Judy – the one who always tried to help people, no matter how hopeless the situation…</p><p>V looked at the techie who had said nothing for a while, and whose gaze was downcast, staring into nothingness. “Jude, I-…”</p><p>Judy’s snapped from her brown study to look at the merc. “Do it, V,” she said, her face twisting into a lour. “You were right. All my life, they took everythin’ from me.</p><p>“Wh-…”</p><p>“Burn this world to the ground. People deserve better.”</p><p>A shocked V could only stare at her in disbelief. Judy said nothing, but squeezed her hand tightly</p><p>After a few moments of stupefaction, V looked at Yorinobu, who was studying her intently. “This tech will bring all of the corps down? Even your arch-nemesis, Militech?” she asked.</p><p>“Alas, that is the only hitch… But I am formulating a plan to deal with them as well.”</p><p>“What is it?”</p><p>Yorinobu shook his head. “I am still working on it, I cannot tell you now. As soon as I figure out the details, I will let you know. You have to trust me.”</p><p>“You better not be fuckin’ with us, Yorinobu,” V warned.</p><p>“I would not come here all the way from Japan had I not the most serious of intentions…” he said, lips curling into a scowl.</p><p>“Does that mean you agree to help me? I can give you some time to think about it, though I am afraid we have very little…”</p><p>V turned to Judy. The techie gave her a nod of assent. She then turned to Panam, who looked up at her and bit her lip. After a few moments, the nomad gave her a reluctant nod.</p><p>V looked at Yorinobu. “No need. We’re in,” she confirmed.</p><p>Looking relieved, Arasaka’s autarch took a deep breath and exhaled. “Militech have been looking for an excuse to wage war for a while. I fear sending my fighters into Oregon to help you has given them the perfect excuse. It would be best if you got started right away.”</p><p>“What, now?”</p><p>“Yes.” Yorinobu sat up from the corner of the desk. He went back to his chair, and dug through one of the pockets of his white jacket that was slung over the backrest. He produced a key fob, heading back over to the trio and handing it to V.</p><p>She took the fob and inspected it. It belonged to her Quadra Type-66 Avenger. “The hell?”</p><p>“I have kept it safe for your return,” Yorinobu said. “The ESA tried looking around The Afterlife.”</p><p>“Did they make it inside?” V asked concernedly.</p><p>“No, there were only a few of them. I think they realised they were outgunned.”</p><p>V traced a thumb along the rectangular metallic fob. “You want me to get started right now?” she said, looking up at him.</p><p>“Too much is at stake to risk waiting,” Yorinobu advised.</p><p>“Alright, I guess…” V sighed, getting up from her chair. Panam and Judy followed suit. “Swear to God, if this is some sort of trick…”</p><p>“There is no trick,” Yorinobu said. He took a phone out of his pocket and tapped on the screen. “I am sending you my details, in case you need to reach me. You now also have full access to Arasaka Tower and all of its facilities. You can come and go as you please.”</p><p>A notification appeared in her HUD, accompanied by a little jingle. She had a new contact.</p><p>V nodded at Yorinobu with narrow, suspicious eyes. She then looked at her two companions. “Alright, let’s motor.”</p><p>“V, one last thing.” Yorinobu waited for her to turn around and look at him. “Thank you," he finished.</p><p>“Not doin’ it for you,” V said with a piercing glare. “Doin’ it cause this shitpit of a world sucks ass.”</p><p>A faint smile crept on Yorinobu’s face. “Sadly, that it does,” he nodded. “I will be in touch.”</p><p>V returned a curt nod, after which the trio left the office. The double door opened in front of them, with Daisuke standing at attention on the other side. He bowed lowly as they left.</p><p>V’s eyes suddenly glowed a fiery orange as she made a holocall.</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The roar of the Avenger’s V-12 twin-turbocharged engine subsided as the trio entered the walled-off estate on the cliffs of North Oak, in the dead of night.</p><p>The main gate opened automatically, having scanned and recognised the plate on the car. V slowly inched the vehicle forward along the driveway, lit by magenta neon lights. The Avenger stopped next to a Rayfield Aerondight, one which no doubt belonged to the owner.</p><p>The trio got out of the car; Judy and Panam took a moment to marvel at the two-storey neo-kitsch mansion and the surrounding greenery of the massive garden, made up of real grass, various bushes, shrubs and ferns, and tall Washingtonia palm trees. Judy could see security bots were patrolling the estate with submachine guns in hand. Though something looked off about them - one had a baseball cap placed on its head; another one further away looked like it had some golden chains around its neck. Odd.</p><p>V made for the front door of the villa; Judy and Panam trailed behind. Once the trio reached the front entrance, a very tall black-and-gold double door, V rang the doorbell; a loud <em>ding-dong </em>could be heard echoing inside. A minute or so passed, after which they heard footsteps shuffle towards them. The doors opened.</p><p>Kerry Eurodyne stood in the middle, arms outstretched and a wide smile plastered on his face. “V, back from the dead, baby!”</p><p>“Hey, Ker. You’re not far off,” V smiled.</p><p>“Sounds like there’s a story there!”</p><p>The rockerboy wore a black dressing gown with gold accents and highlights. His immaculately-coiffed hair, likely costing in the thousands of Eurodollars to maintain, was exactly as V’d remembered it, though Kerry had grown his beard out by quite a bit, obscuring part of his gold-black cybernetic neck implant. Through his cheery demeanour, V could see the torpor in his gaze.</p><p>“Come in, come in!” he beckoned them.</p><p>The trio stepped inside. The inside was lit by a cool blue neon light that lined around the edges of the polygonal roof. The foyer was sparsely decorated, and its design was much like V’s penthouse – minimalist décor; walnut parquet flooring mixed with dark granite; golden accents and highlights all over; a glass parapet on the mezzanine; ferns tucked away here and there. It was as though the two homes shared the same architect. Except, Kerry's home was a lot messier - just as messy as V had remembered it,  though.</p><p>Empty bottles of liquor, cans of beer, takeout food boxes, pizza boxes with leftovers inside, magazines, ashtrays, and random articles of dirty clothing littered the floors. Cardboard boxes were stacked on top of each other here and there. A black grand piano with all sorts of rubbish on top of it stood proudly in the middle of the room, with fancy divans lining the far end. An enormous glass wall that stretched around the whole back side of the foyer offered a preem view of Night City.</p><p>Kerry led them up the stairs to the seating area on the mezzanine. “God, it’s so damn cold in this place,” he complained. “My nipples are always hard… that’s kinda hot, right?”</p><p>V chuckled. “Never change, Kerry.”</p><p>They made it up to the dimly-lit lounge. A dark grey carpet was placed on the parquet flooring, with two semi-circular sofas on opposite sides of a coffee table that was placed right in the middle. A large bar was present to the side of the room, with crisscrossing shelves behind it that stored liquor bottles of many kinds.</p><p>Kerry sat down on one of the sofas, arms splayed across the top of the low backrest. “Gonna introduce us, V?”</p><p>“Right. Kerry, this is Judy and Panam,” she said, respectively gesturing to each woman. “Judy, Panam – Kerry.”</p><p>“Alright! Heard a lot about you two,” he beamed. His gaze lingered on Panam for a moment longer. “Make yourselves at home! Sit down, roam around, do whatever!”</p><p>"Thanks," Panam said, as she headed for the bar to inspect the impressive collection of drinks.</p><p>V sat down on the sofa opposite Kerry, while Judy quietly made her way to the far side of the room to admire some vintage vinyl records hung on a wall.</p><p>“To what do I owe the pleasure of this very, very late social call,” he joked, as he uncorked a bottle on the coffee table and poured a clear liquid into two glasses. He placed one glass closer to V, and raised the other one. “Here’s mud in your eye!” he exclaimed, before downing it.</p><p>V grabbed the drink and took a sip. It was vodka, which wasn’t her favourite. Any port in a storm, though… she finished the whole glass in one go. “How’s Louise and the kids?” she asked.</p><p>Kerry groaned. “My ex-wife’s a lost cause, V. She found someone else… Ted and Kim are fine though. Doin' well in school, actually.”</p><p>“That’s good, they’re smart kids. Don’t take after their dad though, that’s for sure.”</p><p>Kerry chuckled and leaned forward, shifting as close to V as possible. “Is this why you’re here, you vile temptress?” he whispered, wagging a finger at her. “How could you bring her here?” he said, nodding towards Panam with a glint in his eye. “She’s got the eyes of a panther! She’s got lips like Satan, V!”</p><p>The merc chortled. “Relax Kerry, not here to play matchmaker. ‘Sides, you’d be punchin’ way above your weight, and you look like shit. Been sleepin’ much?”</p><p>He leaned back in his seat. “Heh. Like to see you try to look as good as me when you’re on a diet of pizza and blow.” He yawned loudly. “Nah. It’s those fuckwits at MSM Records. Nothing’s ever fuckin' good enough for ‘em.”</p><p>“Same old, same old then, huh?”</p><p>“Yup.” Kerry narrowed his eyes at her. “Also – what d’you mean ‘you look like shit?’ Is it my hair?” He rubbed the side of his head with a palm.</p><p>“No, but funnily enough, I did hear some guy diss it on TV. Your eyeliner’s a bit messy, though. Did you apply it with a fish?”</p><p>Kerry was not amused. “Who was talkin' shit about my hair? Was it that Lamar guy? ‘Yee yee-ass haircut?’ Motherfucker!” he yelled, punching the air with vigour.</p><p>V never grew tired of Kerry’s antics. “Does he have a yacht?”</p><p>“He does, I think. Asshole.”</p><p>“I bet you wanna go blow it up,” V noted with a smirk.</p><p>Kerry sighed. “Can’t. Marina authorities have a restraining order on me.”</p><p>“Damn, that’s too bad, Kerry.”</p><p>“Yup,” he agreed, as he scratched his beard. “You guys hungry? Got my personal chef sleeping in my basement. World-renowned Gourdain Ramses,” he said, with finger guns pointed at her.</p><p>“Impressive. Why d’you have a personal chef if all you eat is pizza, though?”</p><p>Kerry shrugged. “I like to kick his ass at video games. He sucks at KO Kombat.”</p><p>V chuckled. She then leaned forward on the sofa and clasped her hands together. “I’m actually here on biz, Ker. Some real serious shit.”</p><p>The smirk was wiped off of his face. “Oh?” He refilled his glass, and took a swig.</p><p>“Need to get Samurai back together. For one last gig.”</p><p>He choked on his drink, spitting some of it out and coughing in a fit. “Woah, woah, woah,” he finally said with a hoarse voice. “We already had a farewell gig, remember? You hit yourself hard in the head or something?”</p><p>“That was small-time, Ker. I’m talking somethin’ fuckin’ monumental – one show, with worldwide coverage. And it’s really fuckin’ important that it happens; fate of the world hangs in the balance,” she said with a grave look.</p><p>Kerry let out a few chuckles, but then stopped when he noticed V wasn't doing the same. He then furrowed his brow. “Wait… you’re not pullin' my leg, are you?”</p><p>“Dead serious. Learned of it myself about an hour ago, actually.”</p><p>“Oh, man. I’m too sober for this shit,” Kerry groaned.</p><p>“Trust me, it’s important. I’ll explain everythin’ Ker – but I’ll explain it to all of you at once. Can you arrange a call with Nancy, Denny and Henry, right now?”</p><p>“Right now?” Kerry repeated in confusion.</p><p>“Right now,” V confirmed.</p><p>“Fuuuuck…” He was about to refill his glass, but stopped himself, taking large gulps straight from the bottle instead. He then got up from the sofa. “Alright, follow me.”</p><p>He led V back down the stairs with the bottle in his hand. The duo stopped in front of a conference table in the foyer. They were basked in the neon of Night City through the mansion’s giant window.</p><p>On the table was a conference call holoprojector that would display a holographic image of each caller.</p><p>Kerry eyed V worriedly. “If she’s asleep, Denny’s gonna fuckin’ kill us.”</p><p>“What I have to say will get her outta bed. Make the call,” V beckoned.</p><p>The rockerboy pressed a few buttons on the projector. He then stepped back, and took a few gulps of the bottle.</p><p>Beams of blue light from the projector spread out in an obtuse angle, morphing into three floating squares. Each two-dimensional box contained the avatar of each of the other three Samurai bandmembers, Denny, Nancy and Henry.</p><p>Henry was the first to pick up. “Yo, Ker,” he said, rubbing an eye. “Oh hey, V! What’s up?”</p><p>Next, it was Denny – she was definitely asleep before. “Kerry, I swear to God. Someone better have died…” she growled, as she scratched her messy bedhead.</p><p>Nancy, or Bes Isis as she was more commonly known by, was the last to pick up. “Kerry? Something wrong?” She noticed V standing next to him. “V?”</p><p>V stepped closer to the desk, leaning on it with both hands. She peered at each of them intently. Then, she finally spoke up.</p><p>“Wake the fuck up, Samurai. We have a world to burn.”</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>A man in a dark grey carbon-fibreweave suit was sat at an elegant desk, puffing away at a cigar.</p><p>The room was dark. There were no light sources, save for a blueish hologram projected from an emitter built into the desk. That, and the man’s glowing cerulean eyes.</p><p>The hologram was of another man in a suit. His face was obscured in blackness, and his voice was distorted by a modulator. “Has the process been finalised on Mayor Peralez?”</p><p>The blue-eyed Morgan Blackhand tapped his cigar in an ashtray. “The AI has completely overwritten his Beta and Gamma brain waves. He is ours,” he said with his emotionless, crisp voice.</p><p>“Very good,” came the robotic voice from the other side. “And his mission?”</p><p>“Negotiating with Militech as we speak,” informed Blue Eyes.</p><p>“Most excellent. My city will be back to its rightful owner,” said the voice. “And the subjects on List 14? The Japanese ambassador?”</p><p>Blackhand blew a puff of smoke into the air. “The AI is altering their Alpha waves. It will be a few weeks yet.”</p><p>“That is acceptable, and within our parameters.”</p><p>“As to the interest of our… dear shareholders, I believe I’ve found a <em>casus belli</em>.”</p><p>“Do we have our war?”</p><p>“We do, indeed.” Blackhand smiled. “An airspace breach in Oregon. A poor little town has been bombed to pieces by Arasaka.”</p><p>“An inexcusable act of aggression,” agreed the modulated voice, cold and calculating.</p><p>“Funny, the girl was caught in the middle of it somehow,” mused Blue Eyes.</p><p>“The one touched by the AI?”</p><p>“Indeed. I had hoped she’d take the fight to Arasaka, as a distraction. Looks like she’s proven useful in other ways.”</p><p>“No matter. Send the order to President Myers, Blackhand.”</p><p>Blue Eyes shifted in his seat. “Militech is declaring war?”</p><p>“Indeed,” replied the voice. “Let the Fifth Corporate War commence.”</p><p>Morgan Blackhand bowed his head at the hologram. “As you command, Mr. Night.”</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you enjoyed this chapter! As always, thank you all for your kudos, comments and feedback. It is always much appreciated.</p><p>Apologies for the extended hiatus! Rest assured, I fully intend to finish this fanfic.</p><p>And note, before you jump me, Kerry Eurodyne is canonically bi.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. War</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Stumbling blocks are confronted.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Girl, you’re outta your goddamn mind!”</p><p> </p><p>The holographic image of a slack-jawed Denny with scrunched-up features stared at V like she was at sixes and sevens. The merc’s revelations seem to have jolted her from her groggy state.</p><p>Indeed, V could scarcely believe what she was saying herself. A few hours ago, she was prepared to take Judy and run, as far away from everything as quickly as possible. They had nothing to lose, after all - save for each other.</p><p>It dawned on her that what she was trying to do now was convince a bunch of people to voluntarily upturn their entire lives and plunge headfirst into a completely unknown future. Not only that, she was asking them to be party to the death of millions, even tens of millions.</p><p>And where does the buck stop? With her and Samurai, provided they agree? With Yorinobu? Or was it irrelevant, as the world really was getting what was coming to it? That sort of ordeal could weigh heavily on anyone, regardless of the answer.</p><p>Maybe V got too carried away by Yorinobu’s appeal. Maybe she didn’t fully think things through. Maybe she really ought to just run away. She already flew too close to the sun before, and it almost cost her life… and Judy’s. This was bound to end badly, too.</p><p>Yorinobu was going to go through with his plan, with or without her. And he was right, Samurai was the key to ensuring this cataclysmic event wasn’t senseless and wouldn’t lead to anarchy. In theory, at least… But did she really care about the world that much? What did it ever do for her, save for bring her a load of trouble and grief?</p><p>With that thought, he could almost hear her inner Johnny screaming at her. This was everything he could’ve dreamed of - taking down all the corps and course-correcting humankind, something he couldn’t pass up. Maybe something he wouldn’t let V pass up. Maybe that’s why she couldn’t bring herself to just leg it.</p><p>This was her chance to also avenge those who died for her… and because of her. Carol, Teddy, and the other Aldecaldos, all those innocent townspeople… Judy’s grandparents…</p><p>If not for them, then as a matter of self-interest this was perhaps her only chance to escape the desperate situation she was in. The situation she’d also dragged Judy into. But if this was her only chance at life, would she be able to live with the consequences?</p><p>“Sign me the fuck up!”</p><p>V snapped back to reality, as she found Henry’s image nodding at her with a toothy grin.</p><p>“Just like that?” she asked him, somewhat puzzled.</p><p>Henry leaned forward in the armchair he was sat on. “Are you kiddin’ me? This sounds fuckin’ nova!” he replied with a slap on his knee.</p><p>“Of course scop-for-brains would see nothin’ wrong with this!” Denny exclaimed “Kerry? Nancy? Tell me y’all haven’t lost y’all’s marbles, too? You’re not agreeing to this terrorist shit?”</p><p>The holographic image of Nancy was in the process of lighting up a cigarette. She took a drag and let out a cloud of smoke before replying. “One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter, I guess. I’ve reported on plenty of horrible things in my time. Can’t say I’d feel sorry for the corps. This could be the story of the century.”</p><p>“Dammit Nance, haven’t you been payin’ attention?!” Denny exploded. “There ain’t gonna be anyone to listen to your damn story! Wh-…”</p><p>“Denny, this is happenin’ no matter what,” V cut in. “Yorinobu’s doin’ it with or without us.”</p><p>“Why didn’t you shoot the motherfucker when you had the chance?!”</p><p>“I wanted to, believe me. But it wasn’t just me there, and it wouldn’t have ended well for us…” V contemplatively rubbed the back of her neck. “Listen, some bad people are after me. This is my only chance to get rid of ‘em… my only ticket out.”</p><p>“Well I guess that makes it alright then, doesn’t it? You get into some trouble, and so we all have to get blown up to kingdom come to make it go away?” she exclaimed, shaking her head. “Kerry, am I the only one who’s not been takin’ any crazy pills?!”  </p><p>V turned to look at the rockerboy, who had since found a chair to sit down on. Evidently, he needed the support in order to process everything. With the nearly-empty bottle of vodka in hand, Kerry was staring at the floor in silence.  </p><p>“This… this is everythin’ we used to hope for… Everythin’ we used to preach…” Kerry muttered.</p><p>“Oh, for fuck’s sake Ker, we were just a bunch of dumbass kids back then! We didn’t think any of this was gonna happen, and we certainly didn’t want it to!” the drummer yelled, flailing her arms in exasperation.</p><p>Kerry peeled his gaze away from the floor to look at Denny. “Johnny did,” he remarked despondently.</p><p>Denny’s severely annoyed expression gave way to one of deep concern. “And he lost his life over it, man!” she said with a grave voice. There was a long moment of silence as Denny tried collecting her thoughts. “Oh, to hell with this! I’m taking Lynch and getting the outta Dodge. Y’all’d better do the same.”</p><p>Denny’s holographic image projected atop the conference table disappeared in a flash, leaving only Nancy and Henry’s faces.</p><p>“Who’s Lynch?” asked V.</p><p>“Uhh, ’Mad Dog’ Lynch is some Australian virtu porn star she’s datin’. Has the hairiest ballsack ever, apparently,” Kerry explained, before knocking back the last bit of alcohol left in his bottle.</p><p>“His work’s fuckin’ shimra. He’s a doctor too, got a degree in theoretical physics and everything,” Henry added.</p><p>“More like a theoretical degree in physics. He-…” Kerry corrected.</p><p>“Enough! That’s not important,” V cut them off. She looked at the bassist, who for whatever reason was now spinning a knife in his hand. “Henry, guess, uhh, you’re on board?”</p><p>Henry got up from his armchair and kicked some piece of furniture that V couldn’t see, producing a loud crashing noise. “Fuck yeah I’m on board, V! We live in a society, man! We were born in a system that doesn’t give a fuck about you or me! Ought to be glad you weren’t a victim of the things I did to survive. Fuckin’ right I want it all to come crashin’ down!”</p><p>V slowly nodded at his heartfelt statement. She had no choice but to pick him this time. “Alright. Get to Kerry’s first thing in the mornin’,” V instructed.</p><p>“Right on!” Henry exclaimed, fist-pumping the air. With that, he closed the holo call and his blueish projection vanished.</p><p>“’First thing in the mornin’ ‘s like four o’clock in the afternoon for him…” Kerry pointed out.</p><p>V cleared her throat and turned to the last holo projection on display, that of the keyboardist. “Nancy, this… this is a big ask… ‘n truth be told I can’t wrap my head around it…”</p><p>“I’ll do it,” she said curtly.</p><p>That also took the merc by surprise.</p><p>Her entire day has been one full of surprises, actually. It seemed she would have an easier time of convincing the former bandmembers than she’d previously thought. Perhaps they’d always kept some of that punk spirit of their youth?</p><p>“Really…? You’re… okay with it all?”</p><p>A smoky haze surrounded Nancy’s face as she took another puff at her cig. “No, V. Of course I’m not okay with it. It’s fucked up – the ends don’t justify the means. Not when all those people are going to die.”</p><p>The merc quirked an eyebrow. “… then, why’d you agree?”</p><p>“You said this is happening no matter what… I think junior’s doing it cause he’s scared of Militech. Arasaka’s circling the drain, and if he’s going down, he’d rather take the whole world down with him.”</p><p>Admittedly, Nancy might’ve been on to something there. V didn’t fully trust Yorinobu either; she wasn’t entirely convinced that she hadn’t in fact been ensnared by some form of wile that led to unknown ends. Did he truly have the betterment of the world in mind?</p><p>She could feel her headache re-emerging. There was no use debating matters any further. What choice did she have but to take everything at face value? By hook or by crook, she was going to survive. She had to… for Judy’s sake, if not her own.</p><p>V took a deep breath and exhaled. “So…?”</p><p>Nancy tapped her cigarette above an ashtray. “If there’s even the remotest chance some good can come of this, and that hinges on us playing a part? So be it…” Nancy shrugged. “Plus, I’m morbidly curious.”</p><p>“Preem. Always wanted to be an accessory to the murder of millions,” Kerry said sardonically. “Why doesn’t this feel like a bigger deal than it actually is? It’s kinda fuckin’ me up.”</p><p>“It’s ‘cause our minds can’t comprehend death on that scale. A single death’s a tragedy…” Nancy remarked. “… But a million deaths are a statistic.”</p><p>“Fuck…” the rockerboy trailed off.</p><p>V shifted her gaze to examine Kerry. He was still hunched over in his chair and sullenly looking down at the ground.</p><p>“Kerry?” she asked.</p><p>He shook his head after a few moments and let out a sigh. “Workin’ with Arasaka to do… this? Leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”</p><p>“Corps’ve made this world,” V noted. “Only they have the power to unmake it.”</p><p>Kerry looked up at her and narrowed his eyes. “You sure this is gonna work? Sure he ain’t got another angle?”</p><p>“Can’t be sure of anythin’, but… He’s had the means to do it for months now. Can’t think of any other reason why he’d want the band back.”</p><p>The rockerboy’s doubts didn’t seem dispelled. His eyes darted across the floor.</p><p>“But if the last gig’s anythin’ to go by, then people ’ve not forgotten Samurai. They’ve not forgotten your message,” V said.</p><p>Kerry pressed his lips together tightly. “You know, I’ve been unhappy for a long while now. When you and J-…” Kerry stopped himself and glanced at Nancy’s holo projection, before clearing his throat. “And you-know-who stumbled in… you both kinda gave me a new lease on life, man.”</p><p>V nodded. “Sorry it’s gotta come crashin’ down.”</p><p>“Wait, shutup for a sec…” Kerry said. He gestured all around him. “All this shit? Fake as fuck. Thought it was all I’d ever want – the ‘high life’. Heh. Denny took a liking to it… But not me, man. Feels like I’ve been livin’ in this fuckin’ mausoleum of my dreams for ages.”</p><p>“Why’d you keep at it, then?” asked V.</p><p>“Wasn’t gonna do it for much longer. Was gonna break my contract with MSM, pack a bag, take my guitar, and just leave. Hit the road to just… escape… see the world again.”</p><p>“And become a busker?”</p><p>Kerry chuckled. “Maybe.” He got up from his chair and paced towards the grand piano in the middle of the foyer. After setting the empty bottle of vodka down on top of it, he lingered for a few moments, staring at something.</p><p>V saw he picked up what looked like a pair of blue panties that were discarded on the piano. Kerry gave them a sniff and grimaced, throwing them away on the floor before turning back to her.</p><p>“Not got a dog in this fight, ‘n I said I wasn’t gonna do another reunion gig, but… shit, this is what Johnny’d always dreamt of… Got regret in spades, V. But if there’s one thing I regret the most, it’s not bein’ there for that sonuvabitch in the end. So, fuck it.”</p><p>“You’re in?”</p><p>“Yeah. I’ll do it for him,” Kerry nodded. “If the world’s ‘bouta fuckin’ end, Samurai’ll make sure it goes out with a bang!”</p><p>A sudden sense of relief washed over V. Though the band wasn’t reassembled in its entirety, that didn’t prove to be a problem last time. The <em>Red Dirt </em>club, the venue famous for hosting the very first Samurai gig, as well as the location of their previous reunion show, was thoroughly packed last time despite there being no announcement of it.</p><p>“Technically, the world is going out with a bang… thousands of them,” Nancy pointed out.</p><p>Kerry rolled his eyes.  </p><p>“I’ll see you two in the morning,” she smirked. “Fill me in on what it is we’ll be doing exactly, yeah…?”</p><p>Nancy’s floating two-dimensional likeness vanished, ending the holo call. The projector on the conference table switched off.  </p><p>“We’re three for four,” V sighed. “It’ll have to do. Can we get that guy from Cutthroat again? What was his name…?”</p><p>“Drausin?” The rockerboy shook his head. “Heard the poor bastard OD’d on Glitter a couple of months back.”</p><p>“Shit…”</p><p>“Don’t worry, I’ll figure somethin’ out.” Kerry yawned loudly and stretched his arms out. “I’m beat though, gonna hit the hay. Feel free to crash here. Just, uhh… pick a spot and fall down on it.”</p><p>“Way ahead of you,” came Panam’s voice. She walked past the two with a bottle of liquor in hand, heading for a couple of beige sofas off to the side of the foyer.</p><p>V could see Kerry was mesmerised, gazing at her with a crinkled brow and puckered lips. Panam’s trunk definitely had the goods, who could blame him?</p><p>The nomad picked a sofa and kicked back, letting her feet up but keeping her boots on, probably to avoid exposing everyone to a biohazard. She took a swig of whatever drink she had, then set the bottle down before lying on her side and closing her eyes.</p><p>“Not got any beds?” V asked the rockerboy, dragging him back to reality.</p><p>Kerry took a moment to pick up his jaw from the floor before turning to V. “Wh-wha?” he asked, looking slightly dazed.</p><p>“Beds.”</p><p>“Nah, no guest bedrooms. Got a pool float though.”</p><p>V let out a huff of derision. “Shit, did you run out of space?” she said, looking around the unnecessarily gigantic, mostly-empty foyer.  </p><p>Kerry chuckled and moseyed towards the staircase. “Nah, this place was designed for selfish assholes.” As he made his way up, he raised his arm and waved with the back of his hand. “Clap three times if you wanna dim the lights. Nighty night!” he called out, before reaching the top of the mezzanine and disappearing further into the villa.</p><p>Having been left to her own devices, V felt a sudden craving for a smoke. And some nightcap – a generous quantity, preferably. Thankfully, the rockerboy was no stranger to excess. In here, V couldn’t swing a cat without hitting some alcohol bottle or another.</p><p>She spotted a small liquor cabinet by the giant window-wall and walked towards it. A half-full bottle of Centzon was left on top of it, which she then opened and greedily imbibed. She drained the bottle impressively quickly; her innards burned something fierce. She’d come to view it as her penance. Acceptable, for all the relief the booze brought.</p><p>Handily, a pack of smokes and a lighter were also left on the cabinet. She quickly scooped them up and lit herself a cigarette before pocketing the pack and lighter in her leather jacket. She took a long drag on her cig. It’d been a crazy day. As the smoke filled her lungs, she felt herself drifting into repose. It was a welcome sensation. Once she slowly exhaled, it was as though a really annoying itch had finally been scratched.  </p><p>Leaning on the small cabinet, V found herself staring at the cigarette between her fingers through wispy clouds of smoke. She’d just noticed a curious thing – the way she was accustomed to holding it. Placed between her index and middle finger, the butt was pointed outward while the burning end faced her, shielded by her palm. Exposed by their lit cigarettes, many American soldiers got picked off by snipers at night in the jungles of Mexico during the Central American Conflict. Holding a cig this way ensured the flame stayed hidden.</p><p>V was very much aware of how she knew this bit of trivia, as well as from whom she’d picked up the habit. She tried holding it in different ways: between different fingers, at the knuckles, at the tips, but they all felt unnatural and uncomfortable. It was most perturbatory.</p><p>She sighed and carried on enjoying the smoke. A few moments after, somewhere on the far left of the main entrance to the villa, V caught a glimpse of a peculiar sight out of the corner of her eye. It was Judy. She was staring at a giant painting on one of the walls. At some point during the call, she must’ve come from upstairs without saying a peep.</p><p>V paced towards the painting and came to a stop right next to Judy. The techie didn’t move a muscle, idly staring up at the painting with arms crossed in front of her chest. V shifted her gaze to examine whatever it was that seemingly enthralled Judy so.</p><p>In the foreground of the painting was an old stone tower covered in moss, medieval-like, with crenelations, arrowslits, and a moat surrounding it. A pumpkin with a crown was placed on top of one of the battlements. How bizarre. A nebulous, black sky featured in the background, sprinkled with thousands of pinpricks of dazzling light. Three extremely bright, blue stars in the middle of the sky stood out. Some star system, perhaps?</p><p>V leaned in to inspect the tiny brass nameplate on the bottom left of the frame. She could just about make out the minuscule text: <em>Alpha Centauri</em> <em>Beyond the Watchtower, 2002</em> it read.</p><p>“Feels like… like… I could’ve belonged there, in another life,” Judy suddenly mused.</p><p>V looked back up at the artwork. She was right – there was an odd sense of familiarity there. She felt eerily drawn to it… but she had to snap out of it.</p><p>She looked at the techie once more; she was still transfixed. Even from the side V could make out Judy’s burdened countenance. She was gazing searchingly at the canvas, her eyes shifting occasionally as though she would find answers buried somewhere deep within the colourful oils of the old painting.</p><p>“…Judy?” V placed a hand on her shoulder.</p><p>The techie blinked rapidly, seemingly lifted from her trance. Their eyes met, and she smiled faintly at V. It was a beautiful front. If the eyes are the windows to the soul, Judy’s revealed one laden with sadness. Though she was tough and headstrong, there was no fooling V… for Night City ensured they were both like two peas in a desolate, wretched pod.</p><p>“Not gonna ask if you’re okay, because I know you’re not,” V said.</p><p>Before Judy had the chance to say anything, she felt herself get pulled in by V for an embrace. Kerry was right, the mansion was quite cold. It felt good being enveloped by her warmth. Wrapping her arms around the small of V’s back, she was content to just… stand there in silence, and take a breather from all the tumult.</p><p>“Kinda took me by surprise back at ‘saka Tower,” V eventually said, chin still resting on Judy’s nape.</p><p>It took Judy by surprise, too. As Yorinobu described his plan, all she could do was listen with balled fists and let the anger take her. And the rage. Rage against those who’d wronged her for her entire life. Rage against those who took her grandparents from her.</p><p>Was this who she was now? She’d always said if one stayed long enough in Night City, they’d either become an asshole, or eventually be offed by one. And though she’d left the city, it still cast a long shadow over her life.</p><p>And maybe she was an asshole now. A cold, vengeful asshole. Who cares what comes after – right now, she wanted nothing more than to capsize this world that was so broken. <em>Broken</em>.</p><p>Judy slowly pulled away and glanced at V’s smoke. Noticing this, the merc offered the cig to her; she took a drag before passing it back. She then regarded the painting once more with longing.</p><p>“Used to go up to the rooftop of my apartment building a lot to think, ‘n clear my head,” Judy reminisced. “There was this one aircon unit that had some graffiti scribbled on it. ‘Broken,’ it read. You remember it, right? Been up there a couple times yourself.”</p><p>“Yeah… I think so,” V said.</p><p>Judy looked back at the merc. “Always wondered who wrote that, and what they were referrin’ to. Who or what was broken? Themselves…? Those around them…? The city…? Or what?”</p><p>V said nothing and passed Judy the cig once more, which she happily indulged in.</p><p>“Found out the answer one day… Turns out, whoever wrote that used to live in my place,” Judy continued, letting out a cloud of smoke. “Decided to tear down the ugly-ass wallpaper in the livin’ room, do some redecoratin’. Underneath it all was this… writin’. The same three words repeated over ‘n over again, in different sizes, coverin’ every square inch of every wall. Shoulda seen it… was like somethin’ taken straight out of a madhouse.”</p><p>“What words?”</p><p>“… ’Broken’ and ‘no future,’ scrawled on everywhere… except for one tiny patch, where somethin’ else was written, like they had a brief moment of clarity.”</p><p>V arched her brow, expecting Judy to carry on.</p><p>“’Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof,’ it said. Writin’ was neater, too.”</p><p>“What does that mean?” V asked.</p><p>Judy cast her gaze downward in thought. She’d pondered the meaning many times. “I dunno… Think it’s like… we’ve been conditioned to accept we’ve got no future. When you know you’re in danger of dyin’ to a stray bullet at any point in time, it’s like… you’re relieved of any responsibility for a future. Makes it all about livin’ in the moment, ‘n every day has a sharp taste to it. Think that’s why nobody cares ‘bout the way things are… It’s fucked up. The world’s fucked up.”</p><p>V could only stare at her and nod very slowly, taking it all in. Since when was Judy one to contemplate the perversity of human existence?</p><p>“Y’know, it’s funny…” the techie carried on. “This place is called the ‘City of Dreams,’ yet there are no dreamers in it. Dreamin’ gets you killed. Evie dared to dream… you ‘n your choom Jackie did… ‘n I did too. We’ve all paid the price, one way or another…”</p><p>“I know… I’m sorry about everythin’ you’ve been through… everythin’ I’ve put you through…”</p><p>Judy looked back up at the merc. “Don’t be… it’s not your fault. It’s the way things are… But now, they don’t have to be anymore.”</p><p>“Jude, don’t say that. This is my cross to bear.<em> I</em> went along with it, not you. I don’t want all those millions of people to weigh on your conscience.”</p><p>She shook her head. “No, V. We’re both on the fuckin’ horns of a dilemma with no easy way outta this. This’s gotta be done.”</p><p>Letting out a heavy sigh, it was as V had feared. The innocent, idealistic Judy was gone. Forged in the fires of suffering and tempered by pain was born a Judy out for revenge. V was terrified for her, afraid that if the plan somehow succeeded and they made it out alive in the end, Judy’d wear sackcloth and ashes for the rest of her life.</p><p>“So… back at ‘saka Tower, you said you figured out what happened to you? How?” Judy asked.</p><p>Knowing V, Judy’d heard and seen plenty of craziness before, but this was on a completely different level. How would she try to explain the inadvertent vision quest that happened inside her mind, being illuminated by a mind-melded Johnny Silverhand that turned her into some weird gestalt, that was neither wholly V nor wholly Johnny? A Johnny who revealed that it was the long-presumed dead Morgan Blackhand that altered her mind?</p><p>V ran a hand along her hair. “Oh boy… okay.”</p><p>The merc led Judy away from the painting, and sat both herself and Judy down on a leather sofa near the conference table. They could now hear Panam lightly snoring on the opposite side of the room.</p><p>V decided to follow the nomad’s advice and tell Judy absolutely everything, sparing no details. There was no use in trying to protect her anymore; they were both neck-deep in it now.</p><p>So V did, laying everything bare before Judy, who nodded, quietly listened, and occasionally bummed her smoke. Once V had finished revealing everything she’d discovered, she studied the techie.</p><p>Judy was staring off to the side presumably lost in thought, but with an impenetrable look about her as though nothing else could ever possibly phase her. “Explains your behaviour,” she finally remarked. “What’re you thinkin’ of doin’?</p><p>“Don’t know if there’s anythin’ I can do about it now, with everythin’ that’s goin’ on…” V then swallowed hard. “Hope… hope this doesn’t change anythin’ between us…”</p><p>Judy’s head snapped back towards the merc. She lifted her hand and held V’s cheek in her palm. “You’re alive… ‘n that’s all that matters. You’re still you, just… with a few tweaks.”</p><p>V leaned into the touch. “City was bound to change us both… I’m just so… I… ugh…” She shook her head and sighed. “… I failed you.”</p><p>It was Judy’s turn embrace V. Her loss was devastating, but it wasn’t V’s fault. No doubt the merc would still blame herself if she tried putting her at ease. So, Judy said nothing. With tears slowly pooling in her eyes, she pressed her lips together as tightly as she could and gently stroked the back of V’s hair in silence.</p><p>Sometimes, even the most staunch and lionhearted person needed a moment of weakness. A moment where she could cast off her armour and unburden herself. A moment where the weight of the world no longer needed to rest on her shoulders. A moment where she could be embraced by someone close to her heart, and in the comfort of that embrace be wordlessly reassured that everything was going to be okay. Though Judy was fighting her own battle, she knew that right now V needed such a moment.</p><p>After what seemed like ages of silence, they decided it was best to get some shuteye. V spotted a red velvet curtain Kerry was using to cover up a giant painting of himself slaying some mythical creature with an unwieldy claymore. Tugging really hard, she yanked the curtain off its rail and dragged it back to Judy, which they then used as a blanket to cover themselves as they cuddled up on the creaky leather sofa. V clapped thrice as per Kerry’s instructions, and most lights in the giant foyer switched off, with only a couple of dimmed ones remaining lit. The entire room became awash in the neon glow of Night City that pierced through the giant windows.</p><p>Sleep came in dribs and drabs, as is often the case when one is extremely tired yet also extremely anxious at the same time. They both were; they had every right to be.</p><p>At some point throughout the night, V heard sniffles and stifled sobs coming from Judy. She thought it best she simply hug her tightly, and let her grieve in peace.</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>V woke up after a fitful night’s sleep on hearing some commotion coming from further away inside the villa.</p><p>She looked to her side. Curled into a ball, Judy was still sound asleep and unstirring, save for the rhythmic motion of her gentle breathing.</p><p>V quietly got up from the sofa and rubbed her eyes. Looking out the window, she guessed it was just past dawn. They had some time left before getting the show on the road.</p><p>She made her way across the foyer towards the noise she’d previously heard. She passed by Panam, who was still quietly snoring in the land of Nod. Moving further along the ground floor, she stumbled into the large open plan kitchen.</p><p>She spotted Kerry sitting on a barstool next to an enormous island counter made of wood and slate. He wore the same golden-black dressing gown as last night.</p><p>Drawing closer to him, she could see he had a pen and paper in hand, quickly jotting down something and mumbling to himself. Several crumpled-up paper balls littered the floor. He didn’t seem alert to her presence, so V stopped several feet away to observe him.</p><p>“She’s lookin’ good… from head to toe,” he sang quietly. “She’s lookin’ all fine <em>yeah</em>… she’s ready to blow…” He then scribbled something on the paper. “She’s ready to pounce on your ass…”</p><p>But V had heard enough. “You’re up early,” she interrupted him.</p><p>Startled, the rockerboy dropped his pen on the counter and nearly fell off the stool. Swivelling around to face V, he shot her an annoyed look. “Fuckin’ Christ on a cracker, V! Shit!”</p><p>“You writin’ a new song?” she asked, drawing closer to him to have a look at his notes.</p><p>Kerry took a moment to compose himself. “Yeah. It’s… a work in progress. Think I found my muse, though. Heh heh.”</p><p>“I can take a guess…” V sighed.</p><p>He shrugged as if to say Panam’s pull couldn’t be helped. “D’you think she’d… y’know…”</p><p>“Go for you? Nah, you’re old enough to be her great-grandfather.”</p><p>“Pfft. Age is an issue of mind over matter, V. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t fuckin’ matter.”</p><p>“Sure she’ll mind having to put you in a nursing home in a few years.”</p><p>Kerry chortled. “Ah, fuck you!”</p><p>“We’ve got bigger fish to fry, Ker. Let’s stay focused.”</p><p>“Oh, I’m as focused as… a focused thing. Got my hands on the wheel, am all buckled up and ready for the rubber to meet the road, baby!”</p><p>“Good.”</p><p>“So… ‘ve you always had that chrome?” he nodded at V’s cybernetic limb exposed by the torn pantleg.</p><p>The merc briefly looked down at her leg before replying. “Nah, it’s uhh… tell you some other time.”</p><p>“Dig the gold,” Kerry remarked. “’V Goldenleg’… Got a nice ring to it, heh heh. Even if the old bastard is gone, he’s still here in spirit, huh?”</p><p>V rolled her eyes. “Shoudn’t it be ‘Goldenfoot’?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Johnny lost his whole arm, yet he picked ‘Silverhand’,” V noted. “Why’s that?”</p><p>The rockerboy shrugged. “He said it didn’t sound as nova. ‘Silverhand’ rolls off the tongue a bit better.”</p><p>A door located next to the large chrome-coloured combo fridge suddenly opened, and a barefoot man wearing blue tartan pyjamas stepped out.</p><p>He was clean shaven, but his blonde hair was tousled and upright as though he’d been electrically shocked. His face looked like it was sculpted out of clay, owing no doubt to the countless cosmetic procedures it’d undergone. V could see both of his hands were cybernetic, possibly his whole arms too, but his long-sleeved pyjama shirt obscured them.</p><p>“V, this is Chef Gourdain Ramses,” Kerry announced.</p><p>The man briefly scowled at them before opening the fridge to look inside.</p><p>“He’s British or something,” Kerry whispered to her. “They’re a bit weird.” He then loudly cleared his throat and looked at Chef Ramses. “Yo chef, whip up some breakfast for us, will ya?”</p><p>“Fuck off,” he retorted in a peculiar accent. He was still inspecting the contents of the fridge.</p><p>“Do it, or I’ll get that shock collar I bought.”</p><p>“Don’t threaten me with a good time, twat,” the chef replied, picking up a bottle of Broseph Ale and looking at it.</p><p>Kerry groaned. “I’ll take away your damn TV if you don’t!”</p><p>Alarmed, the chef spun around and looked at the rockerboy. “Oh, don’t be a cunt,” he said with a pleading face. “You wouldn’t…”</p><p>Kerry folded his arms across his chest and said nothing, raising his brow to let him know he’d follow through on his threat.</p><p>Chef Ramses frowned profoundly. “Oh for fuck’s sake, fine, you Yankee Doodle prick! I’ll make some SynthEggs Benedict.” He put the beer back in the fridge and got to work.</p><p>“Attaboy!”</p><p>“Morning!” came a voice from the entrance to the kitchen.</p><p>The pair glanced behind their shoulders and saw that it was Panam, looking as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as ever. V had no idea how the nomad always managed to be so high-octane all the time.</p><p>She sauntered towards them and plopped herself on a stool next to Kerry. “What’s cooking?” she asked.</p><p>“Uhh… SynthEggs somethin’,” Kerry said, visibly flushed.</p><p>“Benedict, you donkey,” the chef added, as he busied himself with saucepans and skillets.</p><p>“Huh. Figured you would have enough scratch for real ones,” Panam quipped.</p><p>Kerry narrowed his eyes at her. “Could get ya all the real eggs you’d ever want,” he shrugged. “They just… spoil too quickly. Think those eggs have been in the fridge for years… I prefer pizza. And pierogis.”</p><p>“Pierogis? I love them!” the nomad beamed.</p><p>“Oh yeah? There’s this joint by the docks I love goin’ to, low-profile like - don’t wanna get recognised. Serves the best damn pierogis I’ve ever had.”</p><p>Panam arched her brow. “Georgiy’s Pierogis?”</p><p>“Yup!”</p><p>“A man after my own heart!” she smiled.</p><p>“Oh god, they’re so fuckin’ orgasmic! Unf!” he exclaimed, biting his lower lip for added emphasis.</p><p>The nomad chuckled. “I guess that’s one way to put it. That place, along with the Thai on 7<sup>th</sup> and Heywood, are the only two things I miss about Night City…”</p><p>“Shame we gotta blow it up…” Kerry huffed remorsefully.</p><p>“I’ve been there once myself. They were disgusting,” the chef said, as he was chopping something on a wooden board. “They were fucking <em>raw</em>!”</p><p>V was content to simply lean against a wall and quietly observe them. Panam and Kerry were making small talk as Chef Ramses kept moaning about not having authentic, fresh ingredients on hand. Part of V felt at ease, witnessing such humdrum. But the mood couldn’t be fully lightened so, for part of her also knew that this was the calm before the storm. Did Panam and Kerry not realise this, or were they trying to keep up the sense of normality for as long as possible?</p><p> </p><p>Despite the chef’s grumblings, the breakfast was delicious, if the duo’s compliments were anything to go by. SynthEggs with mushrooms and some weird sauce on top of some strange bread was all V could see.</p><p>She took a couple of plates of food and made her way out of the kitchen, back to the sofa where Judy was just waking up. She seemed in good spirits. They shared the meal and chatted for a bit, noting how they both ought to get their friends to leave the city immediately.</p><p>It was an otherwise pleasant early morning…</p><p>…until the front door was just about kicked in.</p><p>Greatly alarmed, V jumped out of her seat, ready to strike at whoever was about to step in.</p><p>Barging through the double doors was Bes Isis, or Nancy, the red-eyed, silver-haired media and ex-keyboardist. She wore charcoal jeans and a dark blue denim jacket over a black t-shirt. Spotting V and Judy, she nodded at them before marching to the opposite side of the villa’s foyer where Panam had previously slept.</p><p>“Something big’s happening,” she said. “Screamsheets’ve been abuzz the past few minutes.”</p><p>The commotion drew Panam and Kerry back into the foyer.</p><p>Nancy’s intentions were made clear once she’d picked up a remote and pointed it towards the giant flatscreen that hung on one of the walls. The screen flicked to life, and Nancy navigated to the Network News 54 channel.</p><p>Gillean Jordan, the famous N54 anchor with her trademark blonde pompadour coiffure and golden-pink dress was presenting as usual.</p><p><em>“We now turn to City Hall where we’ve been told an important announcement is to be made very shortly,” </em>she stated.</p><p>The N54 newsroom disappeared, and a wooden podium came into view, with about a dozen microphones from all the various media outlets placed on top. Night City’s logo was emblazoned on the podium – an escutcheon with <em>NC est. 1994 </em>on it, a laurel wreath on its sides and the motto <em>Night City – The City of Dreams</em> on the top and bottom. A dark blue drapery hung in the background of the room, with the city’s white-yellow-black flag placed on each side.</p><p>A man in a suit stepped onto the podium amidst camera flashes. V recognised him immediately as both her and Judy stepped closer to the television to observe. It was Jefferson Peralez, the recently-elected mayor of Night City. The very same man who asked V for her help not all that long ago.</p><p><em>“Good morning,” </em>he began.</p><p>
  <em>“My fellow citizens, on this day we mark a monumental paradigm shift. For decades the City of Dreams has stood as the crown jewel of civilisation. Throughout its whole existence, the city has faced major threats both within and without, repulsing them against all odds thanks to the bravery of its staunch defenders. That is… until now.”</em>
</p><p>“What the hell is he on about?” asked Chef Ramses, who also came out of the kitchen to investigate.</p><p>Kerry loudly shushed and waved a dismissive hand at him.</p><p>
  <em>“Crime has been running rampant despite the efforts of the NCPD, as the gangoons’ ranks swell evermore. Like the dangerous pests they are, they threaten to destabilise our entire way of life. But no more! No more will mothers fear for their children’s lives as they walk to the playground! No more will fathers quake in their boots as they travel to their jobs! No more will every man and woman fear the streets of our fair city!” </em>
</p><p>“Fuckin’ been like that since the beginnin’, dipshit!” Kerry yelled at the TV.</p><p>
  <em>“It is time we took back control, and make Night City great again! But it is a quest upon which we cannot embark alone. It is time we descended from our ivory tower, and re-joined the world once more. For only together can we be stronger! To that end, from today Night City accedes to the New United States of America, as it resumes its goal of reuniting our once-proud nation. The vainglorious Free States will be brought to heel! History is unfolding before us, and I have ensured Night City is on the winning side!”</em>
</p><p>“Night City joining NUSA? The second War of Unification? Shit…” Panam said.</p><p>
  <em>“An attempt on my life has been made. It failed. Rest assured, it has not left me scarred or deformed. My resolve has never been stronger! In order to ensure our security and continuing stability, I have dissolved the City Council, and have assumed emergency powers. I hereby declare martial law, and place Night City under the protection of Militech and the NUSA.” </em>
</p><p>“Goddamn. Can’t believe I’m stuck here, and not covering this story…” Nancy lamented.</p><p>
  <em>“Our gracious benefactors have alerted me to other nefarious dealings occurring under my watch… Evil lurks not only in the streets, but also within the tallest towers of the city’s centre. The double-dealing Arasaka have been conspiring to sow chaos, violating airspace neutrality and attacking innocent towns! I have thus ordered their expulsion. Naturally, they have refused to comply. Our allies at Militech have agreed to rid us of their taint from American soil - permanently!” </em>
</p><p>The group seemed positively awestruck.</p><p>
  <em>“NCPD will be out in force patrolling the streets while the city awaits its custodians. We have been tested, but we have emerged stronger. We move forward as one people: the people of Night City, proud citizens of NUSA. We will prevail. Everlasting peace begins today!”</em>
</p><p>Once Peralez finished his speech, a furore of claps and cheers could be heard coming from the auditorium. A flurry of camera flashes bombarded him as he stood augustly before the crowd.</p><p>The N54 news ticker on the bottom of the screen suddenly changed. In a bright yellow background with black text, it read: <em>NC JOINS NUSA. NUSA DECLARES WAR ON FREE STATES. PERALEZ IMPOSES MARTIAL LAW IN NC. MILITECH DECLARES WAR ON ARASAKA.</em></p><p>“So this is how liberty dies… with thunderous applause,” Panam mused.</p><p>“Peralez has lost his fuckin’ mind! Everyone has lost their fucking mind!” yelled Kerry. “Why’s all this shit happenin’ now, jeeze?”</p><p>“The writing was on the wall, at least for Arasaka. NUSA going to war though? Did not see that coming,” Nancy said, lighting up a cigarette.</p><p>“This is gonna light a fire under Yorinobu’s ass. We have to hurry,” V warned.</p><p>Judy was just as flabbergasted as the rest. Though perhaps she shouldn’t have been, as crazier things have happened of late, and no doubt will continue to happen. Yet Kerry’s words gave her pause.</p><p>Peralez lost his mind… his mind was no longer his own… The penny dropped.</p><p>As the others were discussing the communiqué, Judy quickly pulled V by the arm, dragging her away from the others to have a word with her in private off to the other side of the room.</p><p>“What’s up?” asked V, looking somewhat concerned.</p><p>“’Member what you told me ‘bout Peralez few months ago?” Judy said in a hushed voice. “The nightmarish fuckery goin’ on with him and his wife? The mind-alterin’?”</p><p>“Yeah, never got to the end of that story… But this is totally unlike him. Someone’s definitely pullin’ his strings now.”</p><p>Judy shook her head. “It’s not just that… What you said back then sounds an awful lot like what you told me last night.” There was a hint of panic in her tone.</p><p>“Are you sayin’…?”</p><p>“Night Corp’s controllin’ Peralez… whatever they did to you, they could be controllin’ you too!” shuddered Judy, eyes wide and chock-full with worry.</p><p>V bit her lip and emptily stared at the ground. </p><p>This was a troubling revelation, but it made sense. How could V not have connected the dots before? Even with everything that’s been going on, this should have been obvious enough to figure out. Thank goodness for Judy.</p><p>V let out a sigh. “I… I dunno, I mean you could be right but… we can’t get worked up over that now.”</p><p>“But what if it gets worse? You said you saw that monitorin’ room in Peralez’s apartment. It happened over time… what if you become more like Johnny… and less like you?”</p><p>That was a sinister thought. But also a funny one, in a twisted sort of way – as though V was stuck in a circle of Hell she couldn’t escape from. Like some… <em>Divine Comedy </em>shit.</p><p>Why did she get the sense she’d had that thought before?</p><p>No. She couldn’t think about these things now. She couldn’t have her resolve weakened.</p><p>V’s headache was back with a vengeance. She tried rubbing her temples to allay the pain, but it was no use. “My mind’s my own… even if it’s changed.”</p><p>“But…”</p><p>“If Blue Eyes and those fucks at Night Corp are tryin’ to pull somethin’ off here, then Yorinobu’s plan’s the best chance at stoppin’ ‘em. Doubly so if they had somethin’ in mind for me too,” V asserted.</p><p>Judy crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked away, clearly still ill at ease. “Let’s hope it’s not too late…”</p><p>V turned round and headed back towards the rest of the group, where Kerry, Panam, Nancy and the chef were staring intently at the television. Gillean Jordan seemed to be giving a recap of the speech.</p><p>“Where the hell’s Henry?” asked V.</p><p>“I’ll try ‘n get him on the holo,” said Kerry. His eyes suddenly lit up a bright orange. He tapped his foot impatiently while he waited… and waited… and waited some more, until the orange glow eventually disappeared. “No dice.”</p><p>“Shit!” V skimmed a hand atop her head.</p><p>“Don’t you fret. Be right back,” the rockerboy said, ambling away from the group and up the stairs.</p><p>“Nothing goes off without a hitch if Henry’s involved,” Nancy sighed. She then turned her attention back toward the flatscreen at the N54 News anchor. “Always hated that dicty little pixie bitch.”</p><p>“Isn’t she your co-worker?” Panam asked.</p><p>“Uh-huh.” Nancy took a puff of her cigarette. “Think of the most unpleasant person you’ve ever met. Then times that by ten. That’s Gillean.”</p><p>V looked back at Judy, who was now sat down on an ottoman and staring at the floor with a smoke in hand; she must’ve plucked one from somewhere. She was definitely off the wagon now.</p><p>But she was also right to be worried about Night Corp. Maybe Yorinobu knew something about that.</p><p>V pulled up his details through her optical HUD. She paced towards the front entrance of the villa and opened the door to step outside. His contact page popped into view; V initiated the holocall. She stared up at the clear sky as the call rang. The giant palm trees on Kerry’s estate were lazily swaying in the morning breeze. A few moments pass, and the call was picked up.</p><p>Yorinobu appeared to be wearing the same clothes as last night. Dark circles hung beneath his eyes. “Ah, V. Good. I take it you have heard the news?”</p><p>“Has all this got anythin’ to do with the plan? Have we been found out?”</p><p>Yorinobu shook his head. “No. This was the inevitable… denouement, to all of Militech’s sabre-rattling. The timing is extremely unfortunate, but it is a good thing we moved straight away. Have you made any progress?”</p><p>“Workin’ on it.”</p><p>“Please, you must hurry. Arasaka Tower is currently under siege by NCPD, and Militech are on the way. They are currently rampaging across Northern California. We do not have much time.”</p><p>“Nothin’ you can do to slow ‘em down?”</p><p>“Not with the forces I have on this side of the world.”</p><p>“How much time do we have?”</p><p>Yorinobu scratched the back of his neck. “A day, maybe less.”</p><p>V sighed in frustration. “Listen, think Night Corp is behind Peralez. Maybe even runnin’ the whole show.”</p><p>“How did you come to that conclusion?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.</p><p>“Wouldn’t believe me even if I told you. D’you know anythin’ about it?”</p><p>“Hmm… Night Corporation keeps its cards close to its chest. But we have picked up a spike in communications between them and Militech. You may be right. It does not matter though.”</p><p>V suddenly heard a loud boom coming from Yorinobu’s end. He seemed unphased by it.</p><p>“What was that?” asked V.</p><p>“As I said, NCPD are trying to break in. We are holding them back, for now.”</p><p>“Okay. One last thing. Will your plan also take out Night Corp? For good?”</p><p>“Officially, they are one of our clients. Yes, it will.”</p><p>“Then I need you to track someone down for me. Need his detes. Guy works for ‘em, probably very high up.”</p><p>“V, we do not have time for this. I ha-…”</p><p>“Do it, or the deal’s off,” V threatened.</p><p>Yorinobu said nothing for a few seconds, then bobbed his head down to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Very well,” he relented. “Who is it?”</p><p>She debated whether she should reveal his true identity. But it was probably wisest not to. “He goes by the name of Blue Eyes. You guessed it; he’s got blue eyes.”</p><p>“I have heard of this person. He handles external negotiation on behalf of his company. What do you want with him?”</p><p>“Don’t you worry. Got a score to settle with him.”</p><p>Yorinobu regarded her with a suspicious look. “I will do my best to locate him. In the meantime, you must hurry. If they break through here, I will have no choice but to proceed with the plan… Once you are ready, I will send an AV to pick you up.”</p><p>Yorinobu abruptly hung up, and the holocall ended.</p><p>“Asshole,” she muttered, before stepping back inside.</p><p> </p><p>Back in the foyer, she could see Judy was on the holo to someone. Her eyes were glowing orange, and she had an annoyed look plastered on her face. Nancy and Panam were still looking at the TV screen and chatting away.</p><p>“Alright, I got some good news and some bad news,” Kerry announced, making his way down the stairs. He was holding what looked like several small monitors, each probably no bigger than five inches across.</p><p>“What’re those?” V asked, waiting for him at the base of the staircase.</p><p>“These are ankle tag trackers,” explained Kerry. “They’re trackin’ Henry’s ankle tags.”</p><p>As the rockerboy made it down to the ground floor, V could clearly see he was carrying four of them. “Uhh… why’s he need so many tags?”</p><p>Kerry chuckled. “Fucker broke his first ankle tag, said it was defective. So they stuck two to him, thinkin’ two are unlikely to fail at the same time. Broke those too, so they clamped three to him… you get the idea. Up to four now, heh.”</p><p>“How are you able to monitor his tags?” Panam asked, who came closer to inspect the little screens Kerry was holding in his hands.</p><p>“Cause I’m his guardian or some shit. Anyway, I’ve found him, but… the pigs’ve got him.”</p><p>V gritted her teeth. This was bad.</p><p>“Where’d they take him?” asked Nancy, with disgusted eyes still fixed on the news anchor up on the flatscreen.</p><p>“Uhh…” Kerry squinted at the blip on the map displayed by one of the little monitors. “Corner of… Market, and… Pacific Boulevard? Yeah.”</p><p>“The 99<sup>th</sup> precinct, over in The Glen,” Nancy said.</p><p>“Shit. We don’t have the people to bust Henry out,” V said.</p><p>“Woah, woah, woah. Who said anythin’ about bustin’ him out?” Kerry chuckled. “Don’t sweat it, I’ve paid his bail before. Never been to that station though.”</p><p>The merc folded her arms. “Well, I’m comin’ with. Would prefer it if we had some iron just in case.”</p><p>“You’re not goin’ anywhere,” came Judy’s voice from behind them, approaching the group. “You’re still wanted. Don’t need that kinda attention drawn to ourselves,” she voiced.</p><p>V arched her brow at Judy. The techie had a stern look about her, emphasising that the matter was absolutely not up for debate.</p><p>“She has a point,” Panam agreed. “I will go with him. But V is also right – I would like a gun.”</p><p>“Well… if you insist.” Kerry placed the devices he was holding on some stacked boxes, and motioned for the group to follow him back up the stairs. “You guys are killin’ me you know,” he said, huffing and puffing. “Never worked out this much in my life.”</p><p>Once they reached the top, they headed towards the lounge where Kerry had received the trio last night. Kerry made for a door to the left of the bar, which he then unlocked by placing his palm on the biometric reader next to it. As he opened the door, the lights automatically flicked to life. Kerry ushered them inside.</p><p>From a distance V could see that it was an armoury, with various pistols and shotguns mounted to the walls and racks loaded with assault rifles and submachine guns. The group stepped inside the narrow albeit long room. Workbenches with ammo boxes and other military paraphernalia were placed against the walls. But then V spotted a curious sight in the far end of the armoury: a circular Oriental rug with cushions all around it, and a hookah in the middle.</p><p>“This whole room used to be a ‘Dorph den or somethin’. Previous owner was in a rush to move out, left so much good shit behind. Man, it was the happiest day of my life, heh heh,” the rockerboy said.</p><p>“What’d you do with it all?” asked V.</p><p>Kerry frowned at the merc. “What kinda dumbass question is that? Threw the biggest party known to man, and smoked, sniffed, huffed, licked, ate and the shit out of it all!” Looking proud of himself, the rockerboy puffed out his chest and crossed his arms. “Just… uhh… don’t do Blue Glass via… y’know…” He pointed a finger downward. “I swear I could feel ghosts coming out of my asshole for days.”</p><p>V shook her head and looked away – at Panam, who was examining a rocket launcher placed on top of one of the workbenches.</p><p>“Hmph. This would be my weapon of choice,” the nomad said, picking up the rocket launcher and looking through its reticule.</p><p>Kerry regarded Panam with the biggest grin on his face. “Goddamn, where have you been all my life?”</p><p>The nomad smirked at him.</p><p>“You got a rocket launcher in your crack den?” V asked the rockerboy.</p><p>Kerry shrugged. “I like big guns and I cannot lie.”</p><p>The merc chuckled. “Panam, think that’s a bit overkill. You’re not goin’ in there guns blazin’.”</p><p>“I suppose so…” the Aldecaldo said dejectedly. She put the rocket launcher down and picked up a pistol instead, holstering it at the back of her jeans.</p><p>“We all set?” asked Kerry.</p><p>Panam nodded. “It will do. Shall we?”</p><p>V didn’t like the idea of letting them run off on their own, not when so much was at stake. But Judy had a point. Being seen out in the streets was risky.</p><p>Kerry noticed V’s hesitant expression. “We’ll grab Henry and be back in two shakes, V. Then we can figure out how to get a drummer,” he said, clapping the merc on the back. He nodded at Panam. “C’mon, wanna take my Herrera for a spin?”</p><p>“Sure,” said the nomad.</p><p>With that, the two left the villa to fetch Henry from the 99<sup>th</sup> police precinct in Heywood.</p><p> </p><p>Judy and V left Nancy in the foyer to keep a finger on the pulse of the situation in the city.</p><p>They were stood out on the balcony, leaning on the railing and gazing absently past the cliffs of North Oak at the skyline of Japantown.</p><p>“Saw you looked pissed off earlier,” V noted.</p><p>Judy let out a frustrated sigh. “Yeah… spoke to Suze, tried warnin’ her ‘bout the shitstorm that’s comin’. Told her to get the girls the hell out of NC.” She shook her head. “Called me the ‘prodigal daughter.’ Thought I was beggin’ for the Moxes to take me back. Said some of ‘em made bets ‘bout when I’d come back ‘n everythin’. But she refused and just hung up.”</p><p>“You did your best, Jude,” V said, wrapping an arm around the techie.</p><p>“Roxie said she’s left though, thank fuck. She thought I was kiddin’ at first. Who wouldn't though, right?”</p><p>“She had any trouble gettin’ out?”</p><p>“Police have blockaded the exits to the city apparently. She probably sweettalked one of ‘em.”</p><p>"That reminds me..." V got her phone out and started typing a message.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>V</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Misty, get Vik and Mama Wells and leave the city!]<br/>[The whole place is gonna blow soon.]<br/>[Get out, like right now! Please. I’m dead serious.]</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“Think… think we may have made a mistake, V,” Judy said. “Should’ve stopped Yorinobu. Don’t know what the hell I was thinkin’. All those girls are gonna get hurt, or worse.”</p><p>The merc turned to face her. “No… he’s not stupid. Would’ve had a failsafe in case he flatlined.”</p><p>Judy pressed her lips into a thin line, and looked on in the distance.</p><p>“Look I… I know how you’re feelin’, what you’re thinkin’,” V said. “Only a psychopath wouldn’t have second thoughts about doin’ this… But there’s no gettin’ off this ride. Small fry like us don’t have a say in somethin’ this big.”</p><p>Saying nothing, Judy picked a cigarette from a packet she stuffed in one of her pockets, and lit it. She took a long drag and exhaled.</p><p>“Been tossin’ and turnin’ all night,” V said, bumming the smoke. “Came to the conclusion that this… is on him. Not us, Judy. Him.”</p><p>“If he’s gonna go with his plan anyway… why are we even botherin’ helpin’ him? We should’ve just ran away, somewhere the ESA or Interpol can’t come for us.”</p><p>“Like where?” V asked, letting out a billow of smoke.</p><p>“I dunno… O’Neill Station or somethin’. Bein’ wanted by the ESA, they would’ve welcomed us with open arms.”</p><p>“Become highriders and live out the rest of our days in space?” V chuckled. “Don’t think we could’ve left orbit, not now anyway.”</p><p>There was a moment of silence between them.</p><p>V gazed out at the city once more. “We’re helpin him ‘cause… we have a chance to make some good come out of this shitshow. Some <em>real</em> good. Don’t think I could’ve lived with myself, knowin’ I gave that up. <em>That</em> would’ve been on me.”</p><p>A beeping from V’s phone let her know she’d received a message.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Misty Olszewski</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Don’t worry V, I believe you. Vik and I are packing up right now. Already let Guadalupe know.]<br/>[Remember that reading I gave you?]<br/>[Looks like The Tower is coming down after all ;)]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Misty was a good person, but V always considered her a bit kooky at best, perhaps even a quack at worst. It was a bit perplexing how on-the-mark she was.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>V</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Thank fuck! Stay safe, and pack some supplies.]<br/>[Stay away from other big cities.]<br/>[Stay safe. Will be in touch soon.]</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>V sent out the same warnings and calls to flee to River and his sister Joss, as well as V's old neighbour Barry. They were all much more confused, and much less unphased - unlike Misty, who in her usual aloof manner had somehow almost expected it all. Thankfully, they were very well aware that such grim tidings were to be taken seriously, as V would never mess them about.</p><p>“River and Barry have both told me NCPD’s gone off the rails,” V said to Judy.</p><p>“Those the two ex-cops? What’re they sayin’?”</p><p>“Police’ve been recruitin’ like mad. They’re hella aggressive now, even venturin’ into Pacifica now that the Voodoo Boys are gone.”</p><p>“Hmph. Just another thing par for the course with how crazy everythin’s been gettin’.”</p><p>V’s optical HUD displayed another notification, informing her that she’d received a message. She expected it to be either from River or Barry, who were preparing to leave right away. But it wasn’t. It was from Panam.</p><p>V felt a sinking feeling in her gut.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Panam Palmer</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[We’ve got trouble, V. NCPD have detained Kerry.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Of course, something <em>had</em> to go wrong while V wasn’t there to intervene.</p><p>“God-fucking-dammit!” the merc yelled. She stopped leaning on the railing and straightened up, peering angrily at her phone.</p><p>Startled, Judy’s gaze darted to V. “What is it?”</p><p>“Cops’ve got Kerry.”</p><p>“Shit. What for?” the techie asked, flicking away the cigarette over the railing.</p><p>“Don’t know.”</p><p>“What do we do?”</p><p>“Need to think…” V began typing on her phone.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>V</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Where are you now?]</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>Panam Palmer</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[In his car. He told me to wait while he fetched Henry.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>V ran a hand through her hair. She couldn’t afford any delays. She had to come up with a plan - one that was lightning-quick.</p><p>There was seemingly only one option.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>V</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Circle round the block and pull into the alley behind the precinct.]<br/>[On my way.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Right. Looks like Panam and I gotta do it the old-fashioned way,” V said, pocketing the device.</p><p>Judy crossed her arms across her chest. “Wait, that’s your plan? Goin’ in guns-blazin’ against all those cops?”</p><p>V shrugged. “Faced worse odds. Got a better idea?”</p><p>“Yeah, I do actually. If you’re gonna pick a fight with cops, know someone who’d wanna tag along… ‘N I’m comin’ with…”</p><p>V could see a glimmer of determination in her eyes. She knew Judy wasn’t going to back down from this, so there was no point in trying to argue.</p><p>The merc let out a sigh. “Alright, but you’re <em>not</em> goin’ in there! Let’s go grab some iron, ‘n tell me on the way.”</p><p>With a nod from Judy, they rushed back inside towards armoury. They bid a startled Nancy to remain in Kerry’s villa while they went off to mount the rescue.</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The drive through Japantown, Vista del Rey and The Glen was fraught with detours and delays. There was chaos in the streets, as Night City resembled something akin to a warzone. The sound of gunshots bounced around the tall skyscrapers of the massive concrete jungle, echoing throughout as though they were in a giant concert hall, and the orchestra was playing a symphony of jingoism. True to his word, Peralez and the NCPD have declared all-out war on the city’s gangs in the name of security and stability.</p><p>Overturned cars in the middle of the roads, police checkpoints, and panicked crowds running away from the mayhem all served to slow the Quadra 66; but there was no time to waste. V put the pedal to the metal, and with a roar of its V-12 engine, the car bolted down the streets, slaloming past any and all obstacles. She had to mount the kerb and blitz down the sidewalk too, smashing into a cart of SynthCabbages at one point in a deluge of leafy greens. V thought she heard the merchant yell <em>“My cabbages!” </em>as they sped past him.</p><p> </p><p>They eventually arrived at their destination, where things seemed a bit quieter. They could still make out the sounds of conflict coming from further away in the city. The neighbourhood was V’s old stomping ground. Though she grew up in Wellsprings, she’d spent many a night wasting away in a jail cell of one of the NCPD stations in The Glen. The 99<sup>th</sup> was one of them.</p><p>It was almost noon, but the area was darkened as though it was still night-time, with nothing but the scores of neon billboards and advertisements to serve as sources of light. As the name suggested, The Glen was very much the underbelly of Heywood. The denizens could not see the sky - it was obscured by the <em>literal</em> highways built high up above, nestled between the tall buildings and mirroring the streets below. With nowhere to rise, one could almost taste the foulness of pollution in the air.</p><p>She pulled into a cruddy alleyway lined with hillocks of uncollected binbags and other refuse. Slowly driving through it, the alley opened up to a quadrangle surrounded by giant tenements, as well as the back of the 99<sup>th</sup> precinct. What was once a children’s playground was now a dumping ground for residents, and a hang-out for vagrants.</p><p>V spotted Kerry’s Herrera Outlaw at the edge of the small square. Panam was leaning on the hood of the car, watching two scruffy-looking men duking it out further away. Spotting the Type-66 Avenger ambe towards her, Panam straightened up and stood with arms akimbo.</p><p>The car came to a stop next to the nomad. The pungent stench of filth aggravated their nostrils as both Judy and V stepped out of the vehicle. A concordant thrumming from all the aircon units filled the air.</p><p>“What the hell happened?” asked V.</p><p>Panam shrugged. “I saw him get into an argument at the entrance. Next thing I know, they had him handcuffed and dragged inside.”</p><p>V sighed and looked around the courtyard. It was as she’d remembered it, if a bit fouler, if such a thing was possible in Night City. The back of the police station was enclosed by an electrified fence, but was otherwise unguarded.</p><p>“So, what’s the play here, V?” asked the nomad.</p><p>The merc pointed at their target. “We break into there.”</p><p>Normally, a person would have second thoughts about crossing the NCPD, to say nothing of assaulting one of their bases. Not Panam though – she’d done crazier things, after all. “Alright. Are we doing this quietly?”</p><p>With a nod, V beckoned the nomad to follow her as she circled round to the back of the car. The merc then opened the trunk. “Not at all,” she said.</p><p>“Oh, V. Just when I was worried today was going to be boring…” Panam quipped with a smile, as she looked down at the rocket launcher V had acquired from Kerry’s armoury.</p><p>“Thought you might appreciate it. Quickest way in ‘n out,” V said.</p><p>The Aldecaldo nodded. “You know I’m always up for a fight, but… is it just you and me? Is Judy…?”</p><p>“No. And it’s not gonna be just you ‘n me. We’re gonna have a little help.”</p><p>“Oh yeah, from who?”</p><p>“From someone who’s got a bone to pick with the cops,” Judy said, stepping next to the two.</p><p> </p><p>A voice coming from the alleyway echoed throughout. “Lookin’ a li’l put-out, outputs!”</p><p>The trio looked behind their shoulders.</p><p>“Speak of the devil…” V said.</p><p>Rita Wheeler, the Mox bouncer from Lizzie’s Bar, was swaggering towards them with her modified carbon fibre baseball bat resting on her shoulder.</p><p>It had been many months since V had last seen the bouncer; nary a thing seemed to have changed about her. Her dual shoulder holsters were strapped over her black-and-magenta spiky cybernetic arms, with her low-cut crop top covering her shiny SynthSkin torso. Her purple hair was done up in her usual pigtail buns, and she wore the same black-purple gradient latex trousers.</p><p>Several other Mox gang members trailed behind Rita. They were strapped in shiny chrome, scantily-clad in tank tops, low-cut tops, see-through bolero jackets, short shorts, or skorts with fishnet stockings, and high heels. All their garments were the bright and colourful neon Kitsch-style the Moxes were known for, with their hair equally as harlequin. They were just as armed to the teeth as Rita was.</p><p>On seeing her old friend, Judy rushed towards the bouncer to embrace her.</p><p>Smiling, Rita patted Judy on the back with her free hand. “Punchin’ Judy! Knew you’d miss me too much to stay away from NC!”  </p><p>Judy let out a giggle. “Yeah, gotta admit it’s been hard. Thanks for comin’,” she said.</p><p>Rita nodded, then looked at the merc. “Hey, V. What’s shakin’? Got some piggies I need to bonk?”</p><p>“Heh. Heard you’ve been champin’ at the bit.”</p><p>"Judy asked to come 'round and have a little fun - how could I refuse?"</p><p>V chuckled. "I know what you mean. Hopin' this will be quick 'n clean, but there's always the chance things can go south. Still alright with that?"</p><p>Rita looked to her left and right. “Weren't lookin' for a snoozefest, output. My girls 'n are happy to oblige,” she smirked.</p><p>“Does… uhh… Suzie know about this?” asked Judy.</p><p>“Pfft. Screw Suze,” said the bouncer with a nonchalant wave of her hand. “That old prune’s lost it. City’s goin’ to hell, and she’s happy to just have a nice, cold pint and wait for all this to blow over.”</p><p>“Tried tellin’ her to leave, for all of you to leave… she just blew me off,” Judy sighed.</p><p>Rita placed a hand on the techie’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Jude. The girls’ve got good instincts. A lotta them’ve left already, more are leaving right now.”</p><p>“That’s a relief.”</p><p>“Yup,” the bouncer agreed. She then looked around. “So, what’re we doin’ in this shithole?”</p><p>“Got a couple of peeps we need to bust outta that NCPD station right there,” V said, dipping her head towards the back of the precinct.</p><p>“A jailbreak? Ooh, now we’re talkin’!” exclaimed a giddy Rita.</p><p>“Hopin’ to be in an’ out quick. Got any wheels?” asked V.</p><p>“Yup.”</p><p>“We need a distraction. Have your girls head ‘round to the front ‘n take some potshots at ‘em once they hear a loud boom. Then have them delta after a few minutes.”</p><p>Rita quirked an eyebrow. “A loud boom?”</p><p>Panam hoisted the rocket launcher from the Quadra’s trunk and rested it on her shoulder, putting it on display for Rita.</p><p>The bouncer grinned and slowly nodded. She turned towards her fellow gang members. “You heard her, ladies. Get back to the cars ‘n get ready.”</p><p>The half-dozen or so Moxes immediately turned around and rushed back down the way they came. How they managed to jog in stilettos without breaking a sweat was a mystery to V.</p><p>“Alright, let’s give ‘em a few,” said the merc. She grabbed a pistol and a couple of Copperhead assault rifles from the trunk, together with some mags. “Need any extra iron?”</p><p>Rita shook her head. “All good, output.”</p><p>“Alright.” V closed the trunk and looked at the nomad. “Get ready to prime that thing.”</p><p>Panam nodded. With the flick of a switch, the rectangular rocket launcher, which was currently about an arm’s length, whirred to life and extended from both ends; it was now about a meter long. The holographic sight on its side glowed a bright blue.</p><p>She moved away from the cars and further into the courtyard towards her target. The bums that were off to the side had finished their tussle, with the loser knocked unconscious and the winner enjoying the spoils of victory – a Burrito XXL. On spotting the rocket launcher-toting nomad, he dropped his food and quickly scurried away through a different narrow alley.</p><p>Panam crouched down next to a small broken-down merry-go-round that was covered in rust. With her grip still on the handle of the launcher, she pointed it upwards, resting the back end on the ground as she waited to fire.</p><p>V, Judy and Rita stood next to her as they gazed at the back of the precinct. It was one of the smaller ones; V reckoned the security shouldn’t be as tight. The back had the NCPD logo sprayed onto the brick wall, and featured nothing but a single door that led inside, as well as a modestly-sized green dumpster next to it.</p><p>The group stared on in silence. Judy got out the smart pistol she’d grabbed from the armoury and inspected its chamber. V was quietly psyching herself up for what was to come. Rita looked somewhat bored, tapping the end of her bat into her other palm.</p><p>From her crouched position, Panam looked up at the bouncer. “So, why do you hate cops so much?” she asked her.</p><p>Rita regarded the nomad with amusement. “Buy me a few drinks, output, ‘n I’ll tell ya whatever ya want.”</p><p>“That’d be a big mistake,” Judy remarked. “Don’t wanna get her started on her drunken philosophisin’ on existentialism ‘n stuff.”</p><p>“Not my fault I can only put my thinkin’ cap on when I’m seein’ double. But anyway, there was this French guy called Sartre, who-… Hold up.” A holocall had interrupted her discourse; her eyes turned a bright orange for a few moments before the glow disappeared. “The girls are ready to roll up to the pigpen,” she announced.</p><p>Relieved she wouldn’t have to endure Rita’s soliloquy, V placed a hand on Panam’s shoulder. “Alright, Pan. Whenever you’re ready, aim for that door.”</p><p>The nomad nodded at her; V took several steps back with Rita and Judy following suit. Still crouched on one knee, Panam lifted the rocket launcher from the ground and placed it back on her right shoulder, balancing the front end with her left hand. Tilting her head to the left, she carefully took aim through the holographic sight. A few moments pass.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Fwoom.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>A light as bright as the sun flashed before the group and a tempest of smoke erupted from the back of the rocket launcher. Panam was engulfed in the sooty cloud. No more than a couple of seconds later, a loud boom threatened to rupture their eardrums, followed by more crashing and banging. A fire alarm went off inside the building.</p><p>As the pall slowly started to clear, V could see Panam had hit the mark. Where the back of the precinct’s brick wall once stood intact now featured a hole about six feet wide. The blast wave sent the rubble flying back, knocking down the electrified fence off its posts. Ruddy dust clung to the air; V could barely make out silhouettes of office desks and chairs from inside the precinct.</p><p>“Puh-reeeeeeem, output!” exclaimed Rita.</p><p>Satisfied, Panam set the rocket launcher down on the ground. V walked up to the nomad and passed her one of the Copperhead assault rifles. Panam quickly pulled the bolt back on the rifle and inspected the chamber to confirm it was loaded. With a curt nod at the merc, she indicated she was ready.</p><p>“Alright, let’s go!” V beckoned. “Judy, stay here ‘n keep an eye out!”</p><p>The techie gripped her pistol with both hands and headed back to the cars to take cover just in case. V, Panam and Rita hurried towards the makeshift entrance. One by one they vaulted over the bottom edge of the large hole to head straight into the dusty interior.</p><p>Once inside, V had to squint to see through all the haze. She could hear hacking and coughing from different directions. Six or seven NCPD officers were inside, still reeling from the blast and in various states of confusion. They had caught them completely unawares; it occurred to V that she could easily take them all out right then and there. Part of her wanted to, even.</p><p>But she was no butcher… to those who didn’t deserve it, anyway.</p><p>“Everybody reach for the fuckin’ sky right now! Hands where I can see ‘em!” she yelled, with the barrel of her rifle darting between the different targets.</p><p>Like deer caught in the headlights, the policemen and women who were inside the large office gawped at V with stupefaction. They slowly raised their arms up.</p><p>Panam stepped further inside the office to get a better angle on all the officers.</p><p>Rita stepped between two policemen, pointing her bat at one of them with one hand, and aiming a pistol at the second officer with the other hand. She was making pig snorting and squealing noises at them, giggling in between.</p><p>The fire alarm was still loudly ringing inside. V could also hear gunshots close by – the other Moxes were engaged as well.</p><p>“Slowly remove your belts!” V shouted, keeping her gun trained on all of them as best she could.</p><p>The officers looked at each other and hesitated.</p><p>“Do it! Right now!” the merc boomed, digging the barrel of her gun into one officer’s chest for emphasis.</p><p>With slow and deliberate movements, the policemen and women unbuckled their belts, and let them drop to the ground. With their belts dropped, the officers no longer had quick access to their gun holsters. Unfortunately for one of them, his trousers had also dropped to his ankles, exposing his yellow polka dot underwear. He looked mortified.</p><p>“Now line up on the far side of that wall!” V exclaimed, pointing with her gun to the opposite side of the office that had a corridor next to it, no doubt leading further into the precinct.  </p><p>A short, middle-aged officer with a walrus moustache suddenly lowered his arms. Out of the corner of her eye, V immediately spotted this and pointed her gun at him.</p><p>The officer merely folded his arms across his chest. “No! Stay where you are!” he called out to the others.</p><p>Somewhat surprised at his audacity, V walked towards him and lowered the barrel of her gun. She could see he was a sergeant, going by the chevrons on the sleeves of his shirt.</p><p>The officer turned to face her. Though he was close to a foot shorter than the merc, he had a defiant expression on his face. “I’m in charge here!”</p><p>Looking down at him, V placed the back of her hand on his right shoulder. “Do you feel in charge?” she asked icily. His face annoyed her for some reason.</p><p>A bit taken aback by the gesture, the regret in his eyes was quite palpable. “What is this?” he gulped.</p><p>“Keys to the holding cells. Now,” V slowly demanded.</p><p>Trying his best to hide his shaky hand, the officer reached down into one of the pockets of his trousers and fished around for something. He pulled out a keyring with several cast iron bit keys, and held the correct one out for her.</p><p>V took the keys from him. “And the cells?” Her tone was as razor-sharp as ever.</p><p>With his shaky hands back up, the officer pointed towards a hallway on the back-left of the room. “Down there, then look t-…to the right,” he stammered.</p><p>With that, V took the butt of her rifle and hit him square in his stupid moustache. Solidly knocked out, the officer collapsed to the floor with a loud <em>thud</em>.</p><p>“Hands behind your backs, line up against that wall!” she instructed the others, threatening them once again with her assault rifle.</p><p>Nobody else decided to protest, and they did as instructed.</p><p>After lining them up, V marched them down the corridor towards the precinct’s holding cell. Sure enough, they eventually came up to the cell on the right-hand side of the corridor. It was empty, save for a gobsmacked Henry and a grinning Kerry.</p><p>Gripping the iron bars of the cell, Henry was intently staring at the column of disarmed officers. “Holy shit…” he muttered.</p><p>The bassist wore an orange silkweave shirt that was left undone at the top, exposing his golden chains around his neck as well as the large cobra tattoed on his chest. His pair of blue jean were covered by black synthleather chaps.</p><p>Kerry had his arms folded, as though he was expecting them. “Heh. Told you she’d come for us,” he said.</p><p>V scowled at the duo and unlocked the communal cell.</p><p>Henry rushed out at once. “Thanks, chooms,” he breathed.</p><p>Kerry was almost casually sashaying towards Panam. He got down on one knee in front of her. “Oh, beloved muse! I couldn’t bear the thought of perishing in that blasted hellhole without gazing upon your visage one final time!” he proclaimed, surprisingly eloquently.</p><p>The nomad chuckled. “Wouldn’t have been any skin off my nose,” she noted, passing him a pistol.</p><p>“Oh, why must you wound me so!?” Kerry wailed, dramatically clutching his chest. He eventually got up and took the gun from her.</p><p>“Gotta be fuckin’ kiddin’ me,” V muttered under her breath. She pointed her gun to the officers. “Inside! Now! Chop-chop!” she commanded.</p><p>The officers shambled in the cell; V promptly locked it back up to trap them inside. She turned to Kerry. “Why’d they grab you?”</p><p>“Some asshole thought I looked like a Valentino. Can you believe that? Me?!” He looked at the officers in the cell, and pointed to one of them – the one whose trousers fell down earlier. “That guy – Officer Peralta. Dickbrain! Gonna come in there and smash you!”</p><p>“Title of your sex tape,” Officer Peralta grinned, with finger guns pointing at Kerry.</p><p>V could only roll her eyes as Kerry raised a menacing fist at the officer. The merc bid the group to swiftly move out. The alarm was still incessantly ringing throughout the precinct, and V had half a mind to just shoot it.</p><p>As they quickly made their way back to the hole in the wall, V glanced at Henry. “And you? What the hell’d you do?”</p><p>“Dunno. It being the end of the world and everythin’, I went to this fuckin’ shimra wingding. Blacked out.”</p><p>V just shook her head at him. Had Yorinobu taken into account the capriciousness of the individual bandmembers when he formulated his plan?</p><p>“Rita, pull your girls out now,” V instructed.</p><p>The bouncer’s eyes lit up in bright orange. “Time to wrap it up ladies! Let’s delta!”</p><p>As they stepped into the office, V could hear a different sound intermixed with the fire alarm and the gunshots coming from the front of the precinct – multiple gravelly, industrial <em>wub wub wub</em> sounds. Police sirens. And Judy was all alone out there.</p><p>“Sounds like more cops are here!” said Panam.</p><p>“Let’s go!” V cried out.</p><p>The merc was the first to jump through the opening back inside the courtyard. The entire area was awash with the red and blue from the flashers on top of three Archer Hella police cars. V could see her Quadra as well as Kerry’s Herrera were peppered with bullet holes as the NCPD reinforcements were unloading into Judy’s position. Some of the glass windows had shattered into a million pieces on the ground.</p><p>V took cover behind some rubble and started pelting the NCPD vehicles with bullets. Kerry took cover right next to her, Panam ducked behind some rubble further away, and Henry was firing shots from the breach in the wall. Rita was of a different mind – she rushed towards then, sprinting to the officers’ position whilst firing off her pistol.</p><p>Panicked that they were being fired at from behind, the NCPD officers either tried their best to duck behind the doors of their cars, or slid down their hoods to the opposite side of the vehicles to shield themselves. But that meant Judy now had a better shot at them. Relieved, V could see she was unharmed, as she sprang back up from cover to fire.</p><p>The air was now filled with the ringing from the fire alarm, the police sirens, the <em>rat-tat-tat </em>from assault rifles and submachine guns, the plinking of bullets off of metal surfaces, and the clinking of spent casings hitting the ground.</p><p>V laid down some covering fire as she stared in awe at Rita zig-zagging across the courtyard, drawing closer and closer to the officers. She reached the car furthest to the right and holstered her pistol. She then grabbed her bat with both hands.</p><p>The officer recoiled in terror at the sight right in front of him.</p><p>“This little piggy went to market!” Rita yelled. In a split second, the bouncer drew back the spiked carbon fibre baseball bat and swung it at the officer, dislocating his jaw and tearing bits of flesh off. The impact sent him flying back a good few feet.</p><p>His comrade spotted the disruption on her left flank and took aim at the bouncer. Noticing this, V managed to clip her left shoulder with a shot before she had the chance to fire at Rita.</p><p>And it was all the bouncer needed – she finished her off with a downward swing to the head. “This little piggy had roast beef!” she exclaimed. She had to kick the cop in the chest to dislodge the spiked bat from her head.</p><p>Panam was meticulously cycling through the targets, keeping them suppressed with fire as best she could. Sparks occasionally flew from the NCPD cars as bullets made contact with them.</p><p>Rita was making her way down the ranks wreaking havoc. Kerry kept firing off a shot here and there with questionable aim.</p><p>Sudenly, Kerry and V came under submachinegun fire. They were promptly immersed in dust as the bullets tore chunks of the rubble off, causing debris to shower them.</p><p>V noticed the horrified look on the rockerboy’s face. He ducked low, and placed a hand on top of his head, feeling around for something.</p><p>He looked at the merc with panic in his eyes. “V, I could feel it. Tell me they… they didn’t!” he said, removing his hand.</p><p>V only needed to have a quick glance at it – it was fairly obvious. The gaping bullet hole amid strands of waxed and coiffed hair was the NCPD’s ultimate act of sacrilegious defilement.</p><p>“They sure did, Ker,” V informed him.</p><p>The rockerboy screwed his features up. His nostrils flared as he took deep breaths in and out. The rage swelled within him with each breath, until he stood up in a paroxysm of fury, and fired a series of shots with the power pistol Panam had given him. “Motherfuckers shot my <em>HAIR</em>!!!” he bellowed.</p><p>Thinking the gonk was going to get himself killed, V backed him up with a flurry from the Copperhead assault rifle. She hit one of the cops in the neck, taking him out immediately.</p><p>After quickly changing mags, Panam had taken down two more with surgically precise shots. There was one officer left.</p><p>Rita dashed towards him and knocked him down with a left hook from her cybernetic arm. “Aaaand this little piggy cried ‘wee wee wee’ all the way home!” she shouted. She swung her bat down with each ‘wee,’ bashing his face in gratuitously.</p><p>The whole fight was over in less than a minute.</p><p> </p><p>“Ah, I do enjoy a bonkin’!” Rita proclaimed, as she inspected her bloodied bat with a satisfied grin.</p><p>Panam quizzically looked at V, as if to wonder how the merc ever managed to find such a colourful array of characters in her merry band.</p><p>V shrugged at the nomad, and quickly rushed to the other side of the courtyard, smoothly sliding over the hood of one of the NCPD cars. She reached Judy, who was crouched behind Kerry’s Herrera and was gripping her pistol tightly.</p><p>“You okay?” V asked, lowering herself down next to the techie to inspect her for any injures.</p><p>“Yeah, I’m fine. Even managed to get one,” Judy said proudly.</p><p>The merc smiled at the techie's amour propre.</p><p>But there would be no time for rejoicing. In the periphery of her vision, V noticed two more police cars stopping at the entrance to the alleyway, blocking it off.</p><p>“We gotta delta!” she said to the others.</p><p>“Where to?” asked Kerry.</p><p>That was a good question. They couldn’t return to the villa as it likely wouldn’t be safe. There was only one place she could think of where they would be… for a while, at least.</p><p>“’Saka Tower!” V replied.</p><p>They came under automatic gunfire from the cops in the alleyway. They all got down low and made for the cars.</p><p>“You drive,” V said to Judy.</p><p>The techie got in the driver’s seat of the Quadra with V sat next to her; Rita got in the back. Kerry and Panam were in the front of the Herrera, with Panam riding shotgun and Henry at the back. The engines roared as both vehicles came to life.</p><p>“Gotta plough straight through ‘em,” V said.</p><p>The Type-66 Avenger briefly fishtailed as Judy hit the gas. The Quadra started zooming down the alley with Kerry’s Herrera following suit.</p><p>V took a leaf out of Delamain’s book when she was the Queen of the Afterlife, and had a handy modification installed just for situations like this. She pressed a large, red button on the dash.</p><p>In the blink of an eye, the cover of two openings on the sides of the hood slid back, and two platform-mounted miniguns were lifted into view. The barrels spun immediately and began unleashing a hail of bullets at the police cars in front of them.</p><p>The cops flung themselves out of the way; a mere moment later, the Quadra effortlessly burst through the two cars. Tires screeched against the asphalt as Judy veered to the right, heading northward down Pacific Boulevard towards the city centre with the Herrera Outlaw following close by.</p><p>The red-hot smoking barrels of the miniguns retracted back into the Quadra’s hood.</p><p>As they made their way down the road, V could hear more sirens coming from behind. The NCPD were giving chase. The sound of ricocheting bullets could be heard from the back of the car.</p><p>In an impressive act of gunmanship, V flicked away the empty magazine on the Copperhead and subsequently loaded a fresh one in one swift motion. She rolled down the window and leaned out to take shots at the pursuers, resting her waist against the top of the door card.</p><p>Cool air crashed against the back of her head as she began firing at the NCPD. Three were on their tail. She saw Rita had the same idea, leaning out from the back seat on the opposite side, dual-wielding her pistols. Panam also leaned out from the Herrera. The trio were now firing carefully-aimed shots at the police Hellas.</p><p>One of the cars started swerving uncontrollably, until it crashed into a bollard on the sidewalk. Someone had shot the driver.</p><p>V felt herself lurch to the left as the Quadra made a sharp right turn on to Congress Street. The Herrera and the other cop cars followed suit.</p><p>The officers riding at the front leaned out to return fire with their submachine guns. One fired at the Herrera, the other fired at the Quadra.</p><p>“Urgh!”</p><p>V saw sparks flying from Rita’s direction – she had been hit. Luckily, it was in one of her cybernetic arms. This only served to further incense her. Yelling in anger, the bouncer returned fire and managed to hit the assailant in one of the cars. The officer’s lifeless body hung from the window, until it fell out down onto the road. The driver stopped giving chase.</p><p>As Judy wheeled round to the left down Madison, V saw three more cop cars coming into view from MLK Boulevard. She reloaded and fired at them too. She noticed the intersection was littered with the bodies of 6<sup>th</sup> Street gangoons, who had presumably lost a firefight with the NCPD.</p><p>V noticed something was wrong – Judy wasn’t turning left through the underpass to enter the plaza’s roundabout. V spun around to take a look, immediately spotting the issue. Heavy-duty NCPD Chevillon Emperor SUVs were blocking the road.</p><p>She lowered herself back inside the car. “Keep going ‘round to the next crossing. Then press this button at the roadblock,” V said to Judy, pointing at a large orange button next to the red one she had previously pressed.</p><p>On Judy’s nod, V pulled herself back up to fire at the chasing vehicles.</p><p>The techie spotted something worrisome. A police AV hovered into view as the car sped onwards. Through the side mirrors she could see it had spun around and began following in pursuit.</p><p>Focusing on the task at hand, she pushed the thought aside as they quickly approached the next intersection – Congress and Merchant Avenue. Judy could see the same roadblock leading into the plaza. In a matter of seconds, she swerved to the left and pressed the orange button as instructed, hoping that whatever it did would be enough to punch through.</p><p>Something small whizzed past both sides of the car, leaving trails of white smoke behind. Whatever they were, they sent the NCPD SUVs tumbling back as two explosions sundered the air, leaving behind a roaring conflagration. They must’ve been missiles mounted to the back of the car in some fashion.</p><p>After zooming past the defeated roadblock, they had reached the inner ring road of corporate plaza. The massive corpo skyscraper HQs dominated the view, with Arasaka Tower lording above them all. They were very close now.</p><p>Rita had popped back inside the car to reload her pistols. “Keep it up Jude!” she said, before leaning out and firing some more.</p><p>Another sharp turn to the right elicited some audible groans from V. Judy was now heading up the slip road up the northeast-bound Lincoln Boulevard that led to Japantown. But that wasn’t their destination.  </p><p>As the Quadra got to the top, Judy hit the gas hard and yanked the steering wheel to the left. The back of the rear-wheel drive Quadra was trying to overtake the front; Judy had deliberately oversteered. She promptly pulled up the handbrake.</p><p>The tires shrieked as they began skidding along the road. The car drifted into a U-turn, and at the apex of the turn, Judy quickly pushed the handbrake back down and corrected the steering. Remarkably, they hadn’t lost much speed at all, and the car continued blitzing down the other way. It was a manoeuvre worthy of the Tokyo School of Drifting indeed.</p><p>V didn’t know whether to be annoyed by the constant jerking around whilst trying to shoot, or be impressed by Judy’s driving.</p><p>Behind them, Kerry pulled a much wider and slower turn, while the pursuing NCPD vehicles were wider and slower still. Some had even stalled and crashed into each other.</p><p>Judy quickly steered into the rightmost lane of the highway, which was an exit that led to the front entrance of Arasaka Tower. She slowed down slightly to make the turn.</p><p>Though they were now virtually in front of Arasaka Tower, they had stumbled into the mother of all NCPD blockades, with a shootout that was in progress.</p><p>On one side of the bridge that connected Arasaka Tower to the centre of the plaza, Memorial Park, was a score or more of NCPD officers behind half a dozen cop cars, along with two large Militech mechs. On the opposite side of the bridge at the front entrance to the tower, Arasaka troopers were firing back together with a few high-calibre autoturrets that emerged from various openings on opposite sides of the entrance. As for the door itself, it was sealed off by a heavy-duty durasteel blast door in an atempt to hold off the besiegers.</p><p>Judy slammed on the brakes and pressed the orange button once more, praying that the car had enough missiles left to pull them out of the hairy situation they were in.  </p><p>A couple of <em>fwoom</em> sounds and smoke trails gave her cause for reassurance. Before the NCPD personnel in front of them had a chance to react, the missiles blew them all sky high in a breath-taking pyrotechnic display. Some of the vehicles were even thrown over the bridge, clearing the way for the group to cross to the tower.</p><p>Noticing that the chasing cop cars stopped on the highway, Judy cautiously pulled in closer to the bridge and the remains of the blockade.</p><p>V and Rita lowered themselves back inside.</p><p>“Woo! Way to go Punchin’ Judy!” extolled the bouncer. “Remind me to bring you along as my getaway driver next time I rob a bank, haha!”</p><p>“We’re not outta the woods yet,” said V. “Where’d that AV go?”</p><p> </p><p>As if on cue, the NCPD AV fired a salvo of missiles at the Arasaka troopers on the opposite side of the bridge, taking them as well as the turrets out. The flying craft then about-faced towards the Quadra and the Herrera behind it.</p><p>“Shit, get out!” yelled V.</p><p>They all immediately hopped out, taking cover behind the car as best they could.</p><p>The AV’s twin autocannons fired a fusillade at both cars. Judy and Rita crouched behind the trunk, whilst V lay prone behind the opened passenger door.</p><p>Once the shower of bullets had subsided, V reached back inside the car to press the red button on the dash.</p><p>That time, only one of the miniguns on the right side of the car’s hood had lifted up – the other one had been damaged. It fired back at the AV, which began weaving from side to side in an attempt to dodge the shots.</p><p>It was then V noticed the writing on the sides of the aircraft.</p><p>MaxTac had entered the fray.</p><p>Miraculously, the Quadra’s little minigun had seemingly struck the cockpit just before it had run out of ammo, and the aircraft began to teeter. The AV’s side doors immediately opened up; four figures jumped down onto the bridge below one by one.</p><p>Each one of them had a bisected tactical helmet that covered the upper part of their heads, with three green optical lenses on each side. They wore carbon fibreweave bodysuits with wide strips of glowing purple nano-LEDs traced along the sleeves. They donned black bulletproof vests on top.</p><p>“It’s fuckin’ MaxTac!” Henry cried out.</p><p>The AV finally spun out of control and crashed with a loud explosion somewhere on the ring road below. The top of an explosive mushroom cloud could be seen from their position.</p><p>The MaxTac officers started firing at them. Regular NCPD beat cops started pouring in from the highway exit behind them, pinning them in.</p><p>Rita started firing back at the elite squad; they were glancing blows at best. The officers were slowly walking towards them, like a creeping terror. Henry, Judy and Kerry fired shots at the other cops that were advancing at their rear.</p><p>Staying crouched, Panam shuffled up to V, who was also taking pot shots at MaxTac in an attempt to slow them down.</p><p>“Shit, we’re surrounded!” she cried out.</p><p>“Guess it means we can attack in any direction!” V asserted.</p><p>The four MaxTac officers passed the wreckage of the roadblock. Panam also tried shooting at them, but their Sandevistan reflex enhancer implants allowed them to easily dodge each bullet. To the naked eye, they seemed to be cutting through the air like phantasms.</p><p>They all tossed their guns aside as they prepared to enter into a melee with V, Panam and Rita. Two of the elite combat police officers peeled away from the rest and made for the merc: one big, burly brute of a man equipped with Gorilla Arms, and another leaner officer who drew a katana from the scabbard on his back. A woman with mantis blades at the ready had her sights set on Panam, while a lithe officer equipped a menacing serrated combat knife and slowly headed towards Rita.</p><p>Drawing the two MaxTac squad members to her, she backpedalled away from the rest of the group in an attempt to keep them safe and make more room for herself. She could only hope Panam and Rita could hold their own for a while.</p><p>The one wielding the katana performed an elegant flourish, waving the sword about in an effort to impress, or perhaps intimidate.</p><p>The big lunk smacked his two fists together and grunted. But there was a brief look of recognition on his face. “You again!” he called out to V, before he lunged at her.</p><p>How did he know her?</p><p>Before she had a chance to think, he came at her in swift strides and started swinging his fists every which way. He moved with such brutality and fierce determination, V could almost hear the very air being reamed with each strike.</p><p>V tried keeping him at arm’s length, ducking and dodging as best she could.</p><p>The wannabe cyberninja also wanted a piece of her. He jumped in with elegant movements, cutting and slashing at her with grace – in stark contrast to the unbridled assaults of his colleague. His blade sang as he handled it deftly, like an artist might handle a paintbrush. Only, his canvas was flesh and his opus was in one colour – that of crimson.</p><p>His footwork was elegant and methodical, twirling like an acrobat and striking with impressive control. V was sure he would get the best of her eventually - all it took was one wrong step.</p><p>Between dodges and sidesteps, she occasionally parried his blows with the Copperhead. Each strike would chip away at the gun’s metal bit by bit. This gave V an idea.</p><p>As the cyberninja pirouetted into an overhead cut, now was the perfect moment. V parried with the rifle such that the blow landed in the centre, the thickest part. The blade was jammed in long enough to make her move.</p><p>V twisted the rifle clockwise, pulling on the blade as it moved with the nearly-cleaved rifle. The katana slipped from the officer’s hands, and clanged loudly as it crashed to the ground.</p><p>Were V able to see his expression, she was sure it’d be one of complete surprise. He wore a balaclava though, which obscured the lower half of his face.</p><p>And he was also kicked in the nuts.</p><p>The cyberninja screamed as he hopelessly grabbed his nether regions. V’s golden cybernetic leg packed a mean punch… or kick.</p><p>Though he doubled up in pain, she had to dodge several more thunderous jabs from the big brute. But she was intent on finishing the cyberninja off.</p><p>V tossed the ruined rifle at the brute’s face, which disoriented him for a second. With a backward roll, she picked up the cyberninja’s katana off the ground and wielded it with both hands. She then lunged at the dazed MaxTac officer, but the big lunk shielded him by blocking her way.</p><p>Right hook. Left hook. Right jab.</p><p>V tried maintaining a balanced posture as she kept avoiding his blows. She was getting dangerously close to a newspaper booth that could cut her off. She had to go on the offensive.</p><p>The oafish brute was getting visibly frustrated at his inability to land a blow, roaring in anger with each thrust of his fists. He was tiring out, and his movements were getting slower.</p><p>A few jabs and hooks later, V had finally found her opening.</p><p>As he threw his right fist straight ahead of him, V sidestepped to the left. Before he had the chance to retract his arm, V struck with the katana in a downward slash.</p><p>She cut off his forearm. He cried out in agony – but it was brief, for he was shortly silenced thereafter.</p><p>Seizing the opportunity, V had switched the katana to a reverse grip and faced away from him, plunging the sword backwards straight into his abdomen and twisting it for deadlier effect.</p><p>Ostensibly, such a display of martial prowess was unnecessary, really. A forward thrust would’ve sufficed. But it was a cool thing she saw in Bushidō IV.</p><p>She pulled the blade out, and the bull-necked brute collapsed to the ground, clutching at his guts and convulsing in place.</p><p>Spotting the cyberninja limping away in the distance, V immediately rushed towards him.</p><p>In a last-ditch effort to fend V off, he spun around and threw something at her.</p><p>Her synaptic accelerators alerted her to the danger – several particular nasty-looking shuriken, coming at her one at a time.</p><p>She managed to dodge the first three - left, right, left - but the fourth was a split second too fast for her. It grazed the side of her abdomen. She howled in pain, but maintained her course.  </p><p>The MaxTac officer seemed resigned to his fate. He stopped limping away from her, turning around to fully face her instead.</p><p>As she raised the blade, he offered no resistance. With an enraged swipe from V, his head was cleanly lopped off.</p><p>It bounced on the floor a few times; his headless corpse fell limp to the ground.</p><p>V had no time to admire her handiwork – she immediately rushed back to the group.</p><p>She saw they were still holding off the NCPD coming from the highway. But she also spotted something that required her urgent intervention.</p><p>Panam was pinned to the ground by the MaxTac woman with mantis blades. She was trying to go in for the kill, but the nomad had grabbed her hands and pulled her arms apart. But they looked like they were about to give way at any second.</p><p>Thinking she had mere moments left, V held the katana horizontally by the hilt, leaned back, then threw it like a javelin at the officer. She’d never done something like that before, and she was terrified it wouldn’t work. It was a silly thing to do, after all.</p><p>And work it did. The sword struck the officer straight in the neck, skewering her like a shish kebab.</p><p>Panam tossed the gurgling MaxTac officer off of her to the side.</p><p>V rushed towards the Aldecaldo, who now had a few cuts on her face.</p><p>“Fuck, V. Not a moment too soon,” said Panam.</p><p>V offered her a hand, and lifted her back up on her feet. The merc then looked to the other side of the Quadra at Rita, who was just doing Rita things. She was happily pummelling in the skull of the MaxTac officer who chose to duel her. His tactical helmet had long since cracked, and gooey bits spewed out. The fact that Rita was able to stand toe to toe with MaxTac and come out on top somehow didn't surprise the merc all that much.</p><p>V looked at the rest of the group by the Herrera. Kerry and Henry had dropped their pistols, possibly having run out of ammo. Judy was still firing the occasional shot, but the cops were quickly gaining ground now.</p><p>“We gotta get the hell outta here!” yelled a distraught Kerry.</p><p>She had to duck once more as she heard bullets clanking against the bodywork of her poor Quadra, which one could now easily mistake for a giant lump of Swiss cheese.</p><p>V's gaze darted all around the miniature battlefield to try and assess the sich. They were getting shot to ribbons with little to no ammo left to retaliate. They had very little cover, and they couldn’t run across the exposed bridge to the tower. She didn’t really know what to do. More and more police officers were encroaching on their position, as though they teleported out of nowhere behind them. The noose was tightening.</p><p>Through the cacophony of gunshots, her ears suddenly perked up at a new sound. It came from the entrance to ‘saka Tower – servos were sluggishly whirring. Her eyes flitted towards the entrance, where she spotted the massive durasteel blast door slowly being lifted.</p><p>Two bipedal Arasaka mechs stomped their way out, together with about a dozen or so Arasaka troopers.</p><p>“<em>Fukusū no tekitai-sha o kenchi. Kōgeki purotokoru o jikkō-chū</em>,” (Multiple hostiles detected. Engaging offensive protocols) the mechs announced in unison through their loudspeakers.</p><p>They immediately began firing their miniguns at the NCPD officers pushing up behind the group.</p><p>“Now’s our chance!” yelled V. “Head for the tower!”</p><p>V and Panam waited for Kerry, Henry and Judy to join up with them before they all dashed across the bridge, with Rita quickly following suit after she’d had enough bonking.</p><p>Though the mechs and the troopers were laying down covering fire for them, V could still hear the occasional shot whizz past her.</p><p>As they quickly sped across the bridge, she saw Daisuke, the helpful attendant, stood between the mechs as he angrily fired off his Arasaka Shigure submachine gun at the police.</p><p>Looking back the way they came from, V could see the mechs had felled many of the NCPD officers. More were taking cover behind the concrete barrier lining the edge of the highway exit, however. The situation would’ve been beyond remedy had they remained there.</p><p>As the group entered the coolly-lit ground floor lobby, the ‘Saka troopers began pouring back inside as they retreated. A couple of them were shot on the way, and dragged back in by their comrades. The mechs backpedalled inside as well, still firing off a hail of bullets and missiles at the police. Daisuke was the last to retreat back in.</p><p>The blast door slowly lowered once more.</p><p>Everyone in the group was panting, bracing themselves on their knees, or sitting down on the floor.</p><p>A pained groan came from one of them.</p><p>V instantly spun around to look.</p><p>It was Judy. Seeming a bit unsteady, she was looking down at herself and wincing. A large pool of blood had formed on her tank top.</p><p>She dropped to the ground.</p><p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Apologies for taking so long on this chapter. Have been struggling to find the right ideas and motivation lately. I've been told the wait is always worth it, so I hope you agree!</p><p>Thanks once again for all your comments, kudos, feedback and so on!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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